What is Glomerular Filtration? How is the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) determined? What regulatory mechanisms help control and stabilize GFR?
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Dante Alighieri played a critical role in the literature world through his poem Divine Comedy that was written in the 14th century. The poem contains Inferno, Purgatorio, and Paradiso. The Inferno is a description of the nine circles of torment that are found on the earth. It depicts the realms of the people that have gone against the spiritual values and who, instead, have chosen bestial appetite, violence, or fraud and malice. The nine circles of hell are limbo, lust, gluttony, greed and wrath. Others are heresy, violence, fraud, and treachery. The purpose of this paper is to examine the Dante’s Inferno in the perspective of its portrayal of God’s image and the justification of hell.
In this epic poem, God is portrayed as a super being guilty of multiple weaknesses including being egotistic, unjust, and hypocritical. Dante, in this poem, depicts God as being more human than divine by challenging God’s omnipotence. Additionally, the manner in which Dante describes Hell is in full contradiction to the morals of God as written in the Bible. When god arranges Hell to flatter Himself, He commits egotism, a sin that is common among human beings (Cheney, 2016). The weakness is depicted in Limbo and on the Gate of Hell where, for instance, God sends those who do not worship Him to Hell. This implies that failure to worship Him is a sin.
God is also depicted as lacking justice in His actions thus removing the godly image. The injustice is portrayed by the manner in which the sodomites and opportunists are treated. The opportunists are subjected to banner chasing in their lives after death followed by being stung by insects and maggots. They are known to having done neither good nor bad during their lifetimes and, therefore, justice could have demanded that they be granted a neutral punishment having lived a neutral life. The sodomites are also punished unfairly by God when Brunetto Lattini is condemned to hell despite being a good leader (Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). While he commited sodomy, God chooses to ignore all the other good deeds that Brunetto did.
Finally, God is also portrayed as being hypocritical in His actions, a sin that further diminishes His godliness and makes Him more human. A case in point is when God condemns the sin of egotism and goes ahead to commit it repeatedly. Proverbs 29:23 states that “arrogance will bring your downfall, but if you are humble, you will be respected.” When Slattery condemns Dante’s human state as being weak, doubtful, and limited, he is proving God’s hypocrisy because He is also human (Verdicchio, 2015). The actions of God in Hell as portrayed by Dante are inconsistent with the Biblical literature. Both Dante and God are prone to making mistakes, something common among human beings thus making God more human.
To wrap it up, Dante portrays God is more human since He commits the same sins that humans commit: egotism, hypocrisy, and injustice. Hell is justified as being a destination for victims of the mistakes committed by God. The Hell is presented as being a totally different place as compared to what is written about it in the Bible. As a result, reading through the text gives an image of God who is prone to the very mistakes common to humans thus ripping Him off His lofty status of divine and, instead, making Him a mere human. Whether or not Dante did it intentionally is subject to debate but one thing is clear in the poem: the misconstrued notion of God is revealed to future generations.
References
Babor, T. F., McGovern, T., & Robaina, K. (2017). Dante’s inferno: Seven deadly sins in scientific publishing and how to avoid them. Addiction Science: A Guide for the Perplexed, 267.
Cheney, L. D. G. (2016). Illustrations for Dante’s Inferno: A Comparative Study of Sandro Botticelli, Giovanni Stradano, and Federico Zuccaro. Cultural and Religious Studies, 4(8), 487.
Verdicchio, M. (2015). Irony and Desire in Dante’s” Inferno” 27. Italica, 285-297.
Glomerular Filtration: Understanding the Kidney’s Vital Function
The kidneys play a crucial role in maintaining the body’s internal environment by filtering blood and regulating fluid balance. Glomerular filtration is a key process that occurs in the kidneys, specifically in the glomerulus, to help remove waste products and excess substances from the bloodstream. Understanding glomerular filtration, the factors that determine the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), and the regulatory mechanisms that control GFR is essential to grasp the intricate workings of renal function.
Glomerular Filtration Process
The glomerulus, a network of capillaries located within the Bowman’s capsule of the nephron, acts as a filtration unit in the kidneys. As blood flows through the glomerulus under pressure, small molecules such as water, electrolytes, glucose, and waste products are filtered out of the blood into the Bowman’s capsule. This initial filtrate is known as the primary urine or ultrafiltrate.
Determining Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
The Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR) is a measure of the volume of fluid filtered by the glomerulus per unit of time and is a vital indicator of kidney function. GFR can be determined through various methods, including:
1. Creatinine Clearance: By measuring the rate at which creatinine, a waste product generated by muscles, is cleared from the blood by the kidneys.
2. Blood Tests: Calculating GFR using equations that take into account serum creatinine levels, age, gender, and race.
3. Isotopic Methods: Using radioactive substances to trace their clearance rate from the blood to estimate GFR accurately.
Accurate assessment of GFR is crucial in diagnosing and monitoring kidney diseases, as changes in GFR can indicate impaired kidney function.
Regulatory Mechanisms of GFR
The body employs intricate regulatory mechanisms to control and stabilize GFR to ensure optimal kidney function. Some key mechanisms include:
1. Renal Autoregulation: The kidneys can regulate their own blood flow and GFR through mechanisms such as the myogenic response and tubuloglomerular feedback to maintain stable filtration rates despite changes in blood pressure.
2. Hormonal Regulation: Hormones such as angiotensin II and prostaglandins can alter afferent and efferent arteriole diameters to adjust GFR based on the body’s needs.
3. Sympathetic Nervous System: Activation of the sympathetic nervous system can constrict renal blood vessels, reducing GFR during fight-or-flight responses to redirect blood flow to vital organs.
In conclusion, glomerular filtration is a fundamental process in kidney function that ensures waste removal and fluid balance in the body. Understanding how GFR is determined and regulated provides valuable insights into kidney health and overall homeostasis. By delving into the complexities of glomerular filtration and its regulatory mechanisms, we gain a deeper appreciation for the intricate workings of our renal system and its vital role in maintaining our well-being.
