Chapter 23

The Nephron
(functional unit of the kidney
 Renal
cortex
Renal capsule

Nephron
Collecting duct
The Nephron
Renal
medulla

(a)
Minor
calyx
The nephron is the
Renal corpuscle:
Renal
papilla
Cortical nephron
“functional unit” of a kidney
Glomerular capsule
Glomerulus
Efferent
Convoluted tubules
arteriole
(PCT and DCT) each kidney has about 1.2
Afferent
arteriole
Juxtamedullary
million nephrons
nephron
Proximal Distal
convoluted convoluted
Cortex
tubule (PCT) tubule (DCT)
Medulla
The nephron is composed of
Nephron loop:
Descending limb
Ascending limb Collecting
two principal parts:
duct (CD)

Thick segment
Thin segment renal corpuscle – filters
Nephron
the blood plasma
Key loops
Flow of blood
Flow of tubular fluid

(b)
renal tubule – long
Collecting
duct
coiled tube that converts
Papillary
duct
the filtrate into urine
(c)
 The Renal Corpuscle
• renal corpuscle
– Glomerulus
• Unique capillary bed
• Designed to selectively filter solutes
– glomerular capsule (Bowman capsule) that encloses
glomerulus
• parietal (outer) layer of Bowman capsule is simple squamous
epithelium
• visceral (inner) layer of Bowman capsule consists of elaborate
cells called podocytes that wrap around the capillaries of the
glomerulus
• capsular space separates the two layers of Bowman capsule
– Extension of this space at the “urinary pole” creates the nephron’s tubules

• vascular pole – the side of the corpuscle where the afferent

arterial enter the corpuscle and the efferent arteriole leaves

• urinary pole – the opposite side of the corpuscle where the

renal tubule begins
 Renal Corpuscle
Glomerular capsule:
Key Parietal layer
Flow of blood Capsular
Flow of filtrate space
Podocytes of
Afferent visceral layer
arteriole Glomerulus
Blood
flow

Proximal
convoluted
Efferent
tubule
arteriole
Glomerular
capillaries
(podocytes
and capillary
Blood flow wall
removed)

• glomerular filtrate collects in capsular space, flows into proximal convoluted

tubule. Note the vascular and urinary poles. Note the afferent arteriole is larger
than the efferent arteriole.
 Cortical and Juxtamedullary Nephrons

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
• cortical nephrons
Cortical nephron

– 85% of all nephrons

Afferent arteriole
– short nephron loops
Juxtamedullary nephron Glomerulus
Efferent arteriole – efferent arterioles branch
C
o
r
t
PCT
into peritubular capillaries
e
x DCT Interlobular artery around PCT and DCT
Interlobular vein
Peritubular
capillaries

• juxtamedullary nephrons
Corticomedullary
junction
– 15% of all nephrons
Arcuate artery

Vasa recta
Arcuate vein
– very long nephron loops,
M
e
d
maintain salinity gradient in
Collecting duct
u
l
l
the medulla and helps
Nephron loop
a
conserve water
– efferent arterioles branch
into vasa recta around long
nephron loop
 Anatomy of Kidney
Fibrous capsule
Renal cortex

Renal medulla
Renal papilla
Renal sinus

Renal pelvis
Major calyx

Minor calyx

Renal column
Renal pyramid
Ureter
Renal blood
vessels
 Blood Supply Diagram

Interlobular
artery and vein
Aorta Inferior vena cava
Interlobar
artery and vein
Segmental Renal a. Renal v.
Renal artery
medulla
Segmental a.

Renal
artery Interlobar a. Interlobar v.
and
vein
Renal Arcuate a. Arcuate v.
cortex

Interlobular a. Interlobular v.

Arcuate Afferent arteriole Peritubular capillaries Vasa recta

artery
and vein
Glomerulus Efferent arteriole

(b)

kidneys receive 21% of cardiac output

Microcirculation of the Kidney
• in the cortex, Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display.
Cortical nephron

peritubular capillaries
branch off of the Afferent arteriole

Glomerulus
Juxtamedullary nephron

efferent arterioles C
Efferent arteriole

o
supplying the tissue r
t
e
PCT

near the glomerulus, x DCT Interlobular artery

Interlobular vein

the proximal and distal Peritubular

capillaries

convoluted tubules
Corticomedullary
junction

• in medulla, the efferent Arcuate artery

Arcuate vein

arterioles give rise to M

Vasa recta

the vasa recta, e

d
u
Collecting duct

supplying the nephron l

l
a
Nephron loop

loop portion of the

nephron.
 Renal Tubule

• renal tubules (uriniferous) – a duct

that leads away from the glomerular
capsule and ends at the tip of the
medullary pyramid

• divided into four regions –

– proximal convoluted tubule
– nephron loop
– distal convoluted tubule
– collecting duct
 Renal Tubule

• proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) – arises from

glomerular capsule
– longest and most coiled region
– simple cuboidal epithelium with prominent microvilli for
majority of absorption

• nephron loop (loop of Henle) – long U-shaped

portion of renal tubule
– descending limb and ascending limb
– thick segments have simple cuboidal epithelium
• initial part of descending limb and part or all of the ascending
limb
• heavily engaged in the active transport of salts and have
many mitochondria
– thin segment has simple squamous epithelium
• forms lower part of descending limb
• cells very permeable to water
 Renal Tubule
• distal convoluted tubule (DCT) – begins shortly
after the ascending limb reenters the cortex
– shorter and less coiled that PCT
– cuboidal epithelium without microvilli
– DCT is the end of the nephron

• collecting duct – receives fluid from the DCTs of

several nephrons as it passes back into the medulla
– numerous collecting ducts converge toward the tip of
the medullary pyramid
– papillary duct – formed by merger of several collecting
ducts
• 30 papillary ducts end in the tip of each papilla
• collecting and papillary ducts lined with simple cuboidal
epithelium
 Renal Tubule
This is the path for the flow of fluid from the
point where the glomerular filtrate is formed to
the point where urine leaves the body:

glomerular capsule →
proximal convoluted tubule →
nephron loop →
distal convoluted tubule →
collecting duct →
papillary duct →
minor calyx →
major calyx →
renal pelvis →
ureter →
urinary bladder →
urethra → (use urethra to pass urine from body)
 Renal Innervation
• renal plexus – nerves and ganglia wrapped
around each renal artery
– follows branches of the renal artery into the
parenchyma of the kidney
– issues nerve fibers to the blood vessels and
convoluted tubules of the nephron
– carries sympathetic innervation from the abdominal
aortic plexus
• stimulation reduces glomerular blood flow and rate of
urine production
• respond to falling blood pressure by stimulating the
kidneys to secrete renin, an enzyme that activates
hormonal mechanisms to restore blood pressure
– carries parasympathetic innervation from the vagus
nerve – increases rate of urine production
 Overview of Urine Formation

Blood flow
• kidneys convert blood
1 Glomerular filtration Renal corpuscle
plasma to urine in four
Creates a plasmalike stages
filtrate of the blood
– glomerular filtration
Flow of filtrate
– tubular reabsorption
– tubular secretion
2 Tubular reabsorption
Removes useful solutes – water conservation
Peritubular
from the filtrate, returns
capillaries
them to the blood • glomerular filtrate
and
– fluid in capsular space
Tubular secretion – blood plasma without protein
Removes additional
wastes from the blood,
adds them to the filtrate
• tubular fluid
Renal tubule
– fluid in renal tubule
– similar to above except
tubular cells have removed
and added substances
3 Water conservation H2O
Removes water from the • urine
urine and returns it to H2O
blood; concentrates – once it enters the collecting
wastes H2O duct
– only remaining change is
water content
Urine