Vasopressin facts for kids

Vasopressin, also known as ADH (Antidiuretic Hormone) or AVP, is a special chemical messenger in your body called a hormone. It plays a super important role in controlling how much urine your body makes. Think of it like a water manager for your body!

This hormone is made and released by a tiny gland in your brain called the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland decides how much vasopressin to release based on how much salt is in your blood.

What Vasopressin Does

Vasopressin helps your body keep the right amount of water. When you don't have enough water, or if your blood becomes too salty, vasopressin steps in to help. It tells your kidneys to hold onto more water instead of letting it leave your body as urine. This means you'll make less urine, and the urine you do make will be more concentrated (darker).

It also makes you feel thirsty, which encourages you to drink more water and rehydrate your body.

How Vasopressin Works

Your body uses a smart system called "negative feedback" to control vasopressin. Here's how it works:

• If your blood gets too salty (meaning you need more water), your brain tells the pituitary gland to release more vasopressin.
• More vasopressin goes to your kidneys. It makes tiny tubes in your kidneys, called tubules, more "leaky" to water.
• This allows more water to move from the urine back into your blood.
• As a result, you produce less urine, and your blood becomes less salty, returning to a healthy balance.
• Once your blood salt levels are back to normal, the pituitary gland releases less vasopressin, and your kidneys go back to their usual water handling.

This clever system helps your body stay hydrated and keeps your blood's salt and water levels just right!

Images for kids

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  Chemical structure of arginine vasopressin (argipressin). It has an arginine at the 8th amino acid position. Lysine vasopressin is similar but has a lysine in this spot.

See also

In Spanish: Hormona antidiurética para niños