Question

Which one of the following is correct with reference to haemodialysis?
A. It absorbs and resends excess of ions.
B. The dialysis unit has a coiled cellophane tube.
C. Blood is pumped back through a suitable artery after haemodialysis.
D. Anti-heparin is added before haemodialysis.
E. Nitrogenous wastes are removed by active transport.

Answer 1

Malfunctioning of kidneys or any problem in kidneys causes the accumulation of urea in the blood which is known as uremia. It may be a chronic disorder leading to kidney failure. Therefore in this condition patients having this problem, urea is removed by the process of hemodialysis which is known as an artificial kidney.

Complete step by step answer:
Option -A- It absorbs and resends excess of ions
Hemodialysis is the process of removal of excess ions from the blood along with nitrogenous wastes such as urea, uric acid and creatinine. This process does not as such involve the absorption of ions. So this option is not correct.

Option -B- The dialysis unit has a coiled cellophane tube.
The dialysing unit consists of a coiled cellophane tube which is surrounded by dialysis fluid having the same composition with the plasma except for nitrogenous wastes.

Option -C- Blood is pumped back through a suitable artery after hemodialysis.
After removal of wastes from the blood, the cleared blood is pumped back to the body via a suitable vein after the addition of anti-heparin in it. Wastes are removed and blood is therefore pumped back in the body. So, this option is incorrect: blood is pumped back by vein, not an artery.

Option -D- Anti-heparin is added before haemodialysis.
Blood drained from a convenient artery for the hemodialysis process is pumped into a dialysis unit after addition of anticoagulant heparin to avoid coagulation. Anti Heparin is added after the process of dialysis. So this option is incorrect.

Option -D- Nitrogenous wastes are removed by active transport.
The dialysing unit with coiled cellophane tube has a semi-permeable membrane which allows the movement of wastes products which are nitrogenous wastes based on the concentration gradient I.e. via the process of diffusion and not by active transport. So this option is incorrect.

So, the correct answer to this question is the option"B".

Note:
Haemodialysis as such is a very expensive process and patients have to follow this process three times a week. The patients are seen to suffer from headaches, leg cramps, weakness and tiredness. Also, there is the usage of needles which makes the area painful and there are chances of infection.