Which of the following is normally absent from glomerular filtrate?

  • A. Glucose
  • B. Urea
  • C. Sodium ions
  • D. Plasma proteins

Explanation

The basement membrane acts as the real molecular sieve and holds back anything much larger than about 68,000 relative molecular mass, so plasma proteins and blood cells stay in the capillary while water, glucose, salts and urea pass through freely. Protein appearing in the urine therefore signals damage to the filtration membrane. Glucose is filtered but is then completely reabsorbed further along the tubule.

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