Mondo Knows Facts
The kidneys release a hormone when oxygen runs low
Specialised kidney cells detect low oxygen and release erythropoietin into the blood Fibroblast-like cells in the kidney cortex sense oxygen through a protein that is destroyed when oxygen is plentiful. When oxygen falls, that protein accumulates and switches on the erythropoietin gene. The hormone then travels to bone marrow and prompts faster red cell production. It sits in Mondo's human body collection, one of 200 facts that each trace back to the reference below.
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Aldosterone tells the kidney to hold on to sodiumThis adrenal hormone increases sodium reabsorption while pushing potassium outEach adrenal gland is two glands in oneAn outer cortex makes steroid hormones and an inner medulla makes adrenalineThe kidneys take a quarter of every heartbeatThough they weigh little, the kidneys receive roughly a fifth to a quarter of cardiac outputThe kidney concentrates urine with a salt gradientLoops of Henle build a salty interior that draws water out of the collecting ductTiny sensors in the neck detect falling oxygenCarotid bodies fire within seconds when arterial oxygen dropsOxygen use stays high after exercise endsBreathing and heart rate remain raised for minutes to hours while the body recovers
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Tags: kidney, hormones, oxygen
The kidneys release a hormone when oxygen runs low: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Specialised kidney cells detect low oxygen and release erythropoietin into the blood. The figure is taken from National Kidney Foundation, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
- Is this really a human body fact?
- Yes. It sits on the Human Body shelf, one of 2,600 sourced facts grouped into space, animals, the human body, history, science and more. Category pages collect every fact in the same field.
- What else can I read about it?
- The links under the fact point to a quiz, game, puzzle or calculator on the same subject, and the shelf below shows related facts. The wording here is original, and quoted phrases are marked as quotations.