Final answer:
The inability of the kidneys to concentrate and dilute urine typically leads to a lower specific gravity of urine. A specific gravity of 1.005 would be indicative of such a dysfunction, while 1.020 reflects a normally functioning kidney after a concentration test.
Step-by-step explanation:
The loss of the ability of the kidneys to concentrate and dilute urine would result in a specific gravity value that reflects an inability to sufficiently alter the concentration of solutes in the urine. Considering the provided options, A) 1.005 would most likely be the specific gravity of urine under such conditions. A normally functioning kidney is capable of concentrating urine to have a specific gravity as high as 1.020 after administration of pituitrine, a preparation of ADH, during a concentration test.
Urine osmolality testing is more precise compared to measuring specific gravity and reflects the kidney's ability to manage urine concentration. Disturbances in specific gravity can indicate pathologies like systemic edema or conditions affecting the kidneys' reabsorption capacity.