Leading experts distill their extensive experience into user-friendly methods for the study of fluid-electrolyte homeostasis and kidney function in health and disease. Described in step-by-step detail, the techniques move from the molecular level to the whole organism, from simple models to integrative physiology. Here the researcher will find established disease models, methods for optimizing renal disease research, as well as much help in choosing imaging techniques for studies of the kidney's structure and function in health, disease, and during embryonic development. Subjects covered include molecular diagnostics, strategies for studying the molecular mechanisms of kidney disease, technical means to assess the functional correlates of disease, and the planning of clinical trials.