In the several years since publication of the previous edition of this book, the
creative work of the research community has penetrated ever more deeply into
the intricacies of signaling systems that regulate events in different regions of the
kidney. This progress not only gives us a more complete picture of how the kidney
accomplishes its various tasks, but also presents a still bigger challenge to the
student to learn the principles of renal function in an integrated manner that is
not split into isolated fragments. Our approach in this text is to distill the essence
of renal processes and their regulation into a core that is accurate, yet not so burdened
with detail that it overwhelms the reader. Rather than add complexity, we
have purposely limited detail in order to keep the reader focused on the logic of
renal processes. Accordingly, our goals in the preparation of this edition were (1)
to incorporate the results of new literature, (2) point out the logical connection
between events at the cellular level and their consequences for the well being of
the body, and (3) to revise the text to improve its clarity. Consistent with prior
editions we allot considerable coverage to body systems other than the kidneys,
particularly the cardiovascular system, in order to bring out how the kidneys influence
those systems, and in turn are influenced by those systems