Understand the functioning of nephron

This article is in continuation to the previous article that focused an introduction to the excretory structures of the animal kingdom. In this article, we will discuss the function of nephron. Nephron • Each kidney has nearly one million complex tubular structures called nephrons, which are the functional units. • Each nephron has two parts […]

This article is in continuation to the previous article that focused an introduction to the excretory structures of the animal kingdom. In this article, we will discuss the function of nephron.

Nephron • Each kidney has nearly one million complex tubular structures called nephrons, which are the functional units.

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• Each nephron has two parts – the glomerulus and the renal tubule.
• Glomerulus is a tuft of capillaries formed by the afferent arteriole – a fine branch of renal artery.
• Blood from the glomerulus is carried away by an efferent arteriole.
• Renal tubule begins with a double walled cup-like structure called Bowman’s capsule, which encloses the glomerulus.
• Glomerulus alongwith Bowman’s capsule, is called the malpighian body or renal corpuscle.
• The tubule continues further to form a highly coiled network–proximal convoluted tubule (PCT).
• A hairpin shaped Henle’s loop is the next part of the tubule which has a descending and an ascending limb.
• The ascending limb continues as another highly coiled tubular region called distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
• The DCTs of many nephrons open into a straight tube called collecting duct, many of which converge and open into the renal pelvis through medullary pyramids in the calyces.
• The Malpighian corpuscle, PCT and DCT of the nephron are situated in the cortical region of the kidney whereas the loop of Henle dips into the medulla.
• In majority of nephrons, the loop of Henle is too short and extends only very little into the medulla. Such nephrons are called cortical nephrons.
• In some of the nephrons, the loop of Henle is very long and runs deep into the medulla. These nephrons are called juxta medullary nephrons.
• The efferent arteriole emerging from the glomerulus forms a fine capillary network around the renal tubule called the peritubular capillaries.
• A minute vessel of this network runs parallel to the Henle’s loop forming a ‘U’ shaped vasa recta.
• Vasa recta is absent or highly reduced in cortical nephrons.