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Nephron Structure

The document summarizes the structure and function of the kidney. It describes the two main parts of the nephron - the renal corpuscle and renal tubule. The renal corpuscle contains the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, which filter the blood to form glomerular filtrate. The renal tubule reabsorbs most of the filtrate as it passes through different segments, including the proximal convoluted tubule and loop of Henle. By selectively reabsorbing substances like sodium, water, and glucose, the kidneys regulate blood composition and remove waste from the body in urine.

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Mustafa Khandgawi
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4K views23 pages

Nephron Structure

The document summarizes the structure and function of the kidney. It describes the two main parts of the nephron - the renal corpuscle and renal tubule. The renal corpuscle contains the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, which filter the blood to form glomerular filtrate. The renal tubule reabsorbs most of the filtrate as it passes through different segments, including the proximal convoluted tubule and loop of Henle. By selectively reabsorbing substances like sodium, water, and glucose, the kidneys regulate blood composition and remove waste from the body in urine.

Uploaded by

Mustafa Khandgawi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Kidney structure

(1)Renal corpuscle
The renal corpuscle is the part of the kidney
nephron in which blood plasma is filtered.
The term corpuscle means tiny or small
body.
The renal corpuscle of each kidney nephrone
has two parts they are the Glomerulus , which is
a network of small blood vessels called capillaries
, and the Bowmans capsule (also known as the
Glomerular Capsule) , which is the double
walled epithelial cup within which the glomerulus
is contained.

Within the glomerulus are glomerulur capillaries


that are located bewteen the afferent arteriole
bringing blood into the glomerulus and the
efferent arteriole draining blood away from the
glomerulus.
The (outgoing) efferent arteriole has a smaller
diameter than the (incoming) afferent arteriole.
This difference in arteriole diameters helps to
raise the blood pressure in the glomerulus.
The area between the double-walls of the
Bowmans capsule is called capsular space.

The cells that form the outer edges of the


glomerulus form close attachments to the cells of
the inner surface of the Bowmans capsule.
This combination of cells adhered to each other
forms a filtration membrane that enables water
and solutes (substances that are dissolved in the
water / blood) to pass through the first wall of
Bowmans capsule in the capsular space.
This filtration process is helped by the raised
blood pressure in the glomerulus due to the
difference of diameter of the afferent and efferent
arterioles.

(2)Renal tubule
The renal tubule is the part of the kidney
nephron into wich the glomerular filtrate passes
after it has reached the Bowmans capsule.
The first part of the renal tubule is called the
proximal convoluted tubule (PCT).
The water and solutes that have passed through
the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) enter the
Loop of Henle , which consists of two portions
first the descending limb of Henle , then the
ascending limb of Henle.

In order to pass through the Loop of Henle , the


water ( and substances dissolved in it) pass from
the renal cortex into renal medulla , then back to
the renal cortex.
When this fluid returns to the renal cortex (via
the ascending limb of Henle) it passes into the
distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
The distal convoluted tubules of many individual
kidney nephrons converge onto a single collecting
duct.
The fluid that has passed through the distal
convoluted tubules is drained into the collecting

Many collecting ducts join together to form


several hundred papillary ducts.
There are typically about 30 papillary ducts per
renal papilla (the renal papillae being the tips of
the renal pyramids which point towards the
centre of the kidney).
At each renal papilla the contents of the
papillary ducts drain into the minor calces the
channels through which the fluid passes , via the
majot calyx , into the centre of the kidney called
the renal pelvis.

Blood cleaning by the


kidneys

This section is about processes performed by


the kidneys in order to filter (clean) blood.
These are:-(1)Glomerular filtration also called
Ultra filtration.
(2)Tubular reabsorption also called Selective re
absorption.
(3)Tubular secretion.

(1)Glomerular filtration
Blood enters the kidney via the renal artery.
This separates many times(Renal artery
Segmental arteries Interlobar artery
Afferent arterioles) , eventually forming many
afferent arterioles , each of which delivers blood
to an individual kidney nephron.

The diameter of the afferent (incoming)


arteriole is greater than the diameter of the
efferent arteriole ( which blood leaves the
glomerulus).
The pressure of the blood inside the glomerulus
is increased due to the difference in diameter of
the incoming and out going arterioles.
This increased blood pressure helps to force the
following components of the blood out of the
glomerular capillaries:Most of the water.
Most / all of the salts.

The above are filtered in preference to other


components of blood based on particle size
(Water and solutes of relative molecular mass
less than 68,000 from the filtrate).
Blood cells and plasma proteins are not filtered
through the glomerular capillaries because they
are relatively larger in physical size.
The water and salts that have been forced out
of the glomerular capillaries pass into the
Bowmans capsule and are called the glomerular
filtrate.
This glomerular filtrate is formed at a rate

This volume is approx. 20% of the plasma


delivered during that time (It contains all the
materials present in the blood except blood cells
and most proteins which are too large to cross
the basement membrane of the glomerulus).
The glomerular filtrate passes from the renal
corpuscle to the renal tubule.

(2)Tubular reabsorption
Only about 1% of the glomerular filtrate actually
leaves the body because the rest ( the other 99%)
is reabsorbed into the blood while it passes
through the renal tubules and ducts.
This is called tubular reabsorption and occurs
via three mechanisms:-(1)Osmosis.
(2)Diffusion.
(3)Active transport.
Reabsorption varies according to the bodys
needs , enabling the body to retain most of its

Most of the volume of the filtrate solution is


reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule
(PCT).
This includes some water and most / all of the
glucose (except in the case of diabetics).
Most of the energy consumed by the kidneys is
used in the reabsorption of sodium ions (Na+) ,
which are solutes that is , they are dissolved in
the water component of the filtrate solution.

As the concentration of Na+ in the filtrate


solution is high (about the same as the
concentration of Na+ in blood plasma) , Na+
moves from the tubular fluid into the PCT.
In the cases of many Na+ ions this occurs with
the help of symprters.
Symporters simultaneously faciliate passage
through the PCT membrane of both Na+ and
another substances / solutes.
Other such substances that are reabsorbed with
Na+ in this way include glucose(and important

These then move on through cells via diffusion


and / or other transport processes.
Solutes are selectively moved from the GF to
the plasma by active transport.
Following the movement of solutes (including
Na+), water is then also reabsorbed by osmosis.
About 80% of the filtrate volume is reabsorbed
in this way.
As this part of the reabsorption process is not
controlled by the PCT itself, it is sometimes called
obligatory water reabsorption.

In the loop of Henle the remaining water


(together with the dissolved salts and urea)
passes from the PCT into the descending limb of
Henle.
It then passes along the loop of Henle , and up
the ascending limb of Henle.
The different permeability

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