0
Still curious? Ask our experts.
Chat with our AI personalities
Vivi
Fran
ProfessorThe kidney nephron is adapted to its function through its structure, which includes a network of blood vessels and tubules. This design allows for the filtration, reabsorption, and secretion of substances to regulate electrolyte balance, fluid volume, and waste removal in the body. Additionally, the specialized cells within the nephron help to maintain proper blood pressure and pH levels.
In the kidney, a tubular structure called the nephron filters blood to form urine. At the beginning of the nephron, the glomerulus /ɡlɒˈmɛrələs/ is a network (tuft) of capillariesthat performs the first step of filtering blood.
The glomerulus is surrounded by Bowman's capsule. The blood is filtered through the capillaries of the glomerulus into the Bowman's capsule. The Bowman's capsule empties the filtrate into a tubule that is also part of the nephron.
A glomerulus receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole of the renal circulation. Unlike most other capillary beds, the glomerulus drains into an efferent arteriole rather than a venule. The resistance of these arterioles results in high pressure within the glomerulus, aiding the process of ultrafiltration, where fluids and soluble materials in the blood are forced out of the capillaries and into Bowman's capsule.
A glomerulus and its surrounding Bowman's capsule constitute a renal corpuscle, the basic filtration unit of the kidney. The rate at which blood is filtered through all of the glomeruli, and thus the measure of the overall renal function, is the glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
The glomerulus takes part in ultrafiltration in the nephron. Blood flows into the afferent arteriol, which is larger in diameter, and the blood flows out of the efferent artirol, which has a smaller lumen/ diameter, this means that the blood will be at a higher pressure, allowing for substances to be pushed from the blood into the bowmans capsure. The glomerus also has podocytes on the basement membrane, which have projections, this ensure that there are gaps or pores to allow for substances to leave the blood. The basement membrane also does not allow protein molecules (which have a molecular mass of over 69000.)
The blood plasma is filtered through the capillaries of the glomerulus into the Bowman's capsule. The Bowman's capsule empties the filtrate into a tubule that is also part of the nephron. A glomerulus receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole of the renal circulation.
Add your answer:
Earn +20 pts
Which area of the kidney contains the greatest amount of nephron structures?
The renal cortex contains the largest number of nephron structures in the kidney.
What is the nephron also known as?
The nephron is also known as the functional unit of the kidney.
Where are all the proximal and distal convoluted tubules of the kidney located?
If you are talking about the proximal/distal convoluted tubules. Then you are talking about a kidney, and in between them is the nephron loop or the Loop of Henle
Where does filtration occurs in the kidney?
On the top on the kidney.
What is the nephron the basic unit of?
The nephron is the basic unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood, regulating electrolyte balance, and maintaining fluid homeostasis by producing urine.
