Mrs. Bigda, a 60-year old woman, was brought to the hospital after falling to the pavement. You are doing the initial screening at the hospital, and note that she has suffered from nausea, fatigue,...

Mrs. Bigda, a 60-year old woman, was brought to the hospital after falling to the pavement. You are doing the initial screening at the hospital, and note that she has suffered from nausea, fatigue, and memory loss. She has a history of chronic hypertension and diabetes. Blood testing was performed. The preliminary diagnosis provided by other members of your team was late-stage glomerulonephritis and she may have to undergo dialysis.

a.) The patient asks you to help her understand the condition of glomerulonephritis.  Discuss this condition with her, the possible causes and, the anatomy of the glomerulus.

b.) While waiting for more results, you explain how a healthy glomerulus functions to filter her blood so, that she would not have those medical issues. Explain the important chemical differences between blood plasma and glomerular filtrate in a healthy kidney. Explain to her how the healthy structure of the filtration membrane is responsible for these differences.