Life Sciences: KIDNEY STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTION
Grade 11
Presenter: Shabnum Suknandan
TERMINOLOGY
KIDNEYS
• The kidneys are bean shaped structures
that are found half-way down the back
just under the ribcage.
• They weigh between 115 and 170 grams
each depending on the age and gender
of the person and are about 11 cm long.
KIDNEYS
• The kidneys are protected by
adipose (fat) tissue.
• Each kidney is covered by a renal
capsule which protects the kidney
and its internal structures from
infections.
KIDNEYS
• Blood carrying waste products but
rich in oxygen, is taken to the
kidneys by the renal artery which
branches off the aorta.
• The blood is filtered by the kidney.
• Deoxygenated blood with the
waste products removed, leaves
the kidney through the renal vein.
STRUCTURE OF KIDNEY
REAL KIDNEY
DISSECTED KIDNEYS
ENLARGEMENT OF DISSECTED KIDNEY
NEPRHON
NEPHRONS
• Nephrons are microscopic coiled structures made up of tubes,
arterioles, capillaries and ducts.
• Each human kidney has about 1 million nephrons.
• Their main function is to filter the blood, regulate the waste,
water and other important substances the body needs.
NEPHRON
ACTIVITY
Draw a labelled diagram of the dissected kidney
ACTIVITY
Marking guidelines:
Correct diagram ✓
Caption / title ✓
Labels: capsule,
cortex,
medulla,
renal pelvis,
ureter ✓✓✓✓ (any 4)
ACTIVITY
State the function of the
(a) fat around the kidney?
It provides protection to the kidney in the region of the back ✓
(b) renal capsule around the kidney?
It protects the kidney from infection ✓
ACTIVITY
Why is it an advantage to have two kidneys instead of one?
Increased kidney functioning ✓.
Double the volume of blood can be filtered ✓
Where does the ureter lead to and what is its function?
To the bladder ✓which stores urine until urination ✓
ACTIVITY
Label the following nephron:
ANSWER
Label the following nephron:
MALPHIGIAN BODY
The nephron can be divided into 2 separate sections
• Malpighian body
• Renal tubule
MALPHIGIAN BODY
• The Malpighian body (renal corpuscle) occurs in the cortex
region of the kidney:
• It includes the cup-shaped Bowman’s capsule and a dense
capillary network in the hollowed-out region of the capsule
called the glomerulus.
MALPHIGIAN BODY
• The inner lining of the Bowman’s capsule has special cells called
podocytes.
• These cells have finger-like extensions that wrap around the capillaries of
the glomerulus.
• There are slits between these extensions to allow substances to pass
through.
RENAL TUBULE
This includes the proximal (first, or close to)
convoluted tubule in the cortex, the loop of
Henle which runs into the medulla and the
distal (second, or distant, far from)
convoluted tubule back in the cortex.
.
RENAL TUBULES
• The distal tubule feeds into the collecting
ducts that lead to the pelvic region of the
kidney.
• The renal tubule is surrounded by a
secondary capillary network known as
the peritubular capillary network.
RENAL TUBULES
• Cuboidal epithelial cells line the renal
tubule and have microvilli extensions on
their surface.
• Each of these cells has a rich supply of
mitochondria.
• Energy supplied by cellular respiration
can be used to move substances against
a gradient.
MAIN PROCESSES OCCURING IN NEPRHON
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
• Glomerular filtration takes place in the Malpighian
body of the nephron.
• Blood enters the glomerulus from the renal artery in
the afferent arteriole and leaves the glomerulus in the
efferent arteriole.
• Various adaptations of the Malpighian body ensure
that filtration takes place.
• The afferent arteriole is wider than the efferent
arteriole. This results in the blood being put under
high pressure forcing the plasma with dissolved
substances into the capsular space of the Bowman’s
capsule.
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
• The walls of the glomerulus capillaries are thin
and consist of a single layer of squamous
epithelial cells.
• This together with the podocytes found on the
inner wall of the Bowman’s capsule make ultra-
filtration possible.
• Only the smaller dissolved substances travel
through the filtration slits between the podocytes.
Larger proteins remain in the blood.
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
Bowman’s capsule is cup-shaped to enlarge the contact area with
the glomerulus.
The formation of the glomerular filtrate is a non-selective process,
• useful substances- glucose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals
and water
• waste substances- urea and uric acid
are filtered into the capsule.
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: PROXIMAL CONVOLUTED TUBULE
• Active re-absorption of the glucose, amino
acids, vitamins.
• About 65% of the water also moves back into
the blood of the peritubular capillaries by
osmosis.
• Prevents dehydration and any unnecessary
loss of important substances.
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: PROXIMAL CONVULUTED TUBULE
• Active transport needs energy.
• Cuboidal epithelial cells lining the
tubules have many mitochondria
(site for cellular respiration).
• Microvilli on these same cells
increase surface area for maximum
re-absorption.
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: PROXIMAL CONVULUTED TUBULE
• The movement of water is by the passive process of osmosis.
• The fluid in the renal tubule is now called tubular filtrate.
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: LOOP OF HENLE
The Loop of Henle ensures that water is conserved and
recovered from the filtrate and returned to the blood.
The cells lining the ascending loop of Henle are impermeable
(block movement) to water.
Salt is actively pumped out of the loop and into the medulla
tissue of the kidney.
The medulla becomes hypertonic (very salty).
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: LOOP OF HENLE
• The medulla becomes hypertonic (very salty)
• Medulla has a low water potential
• Concentration gradient between tubular filtrate and medulla tissue
TUBULAR RE-ABSORPTION: DISTAL CONVOLUTED TUBLES
• The distal convoluted tubule and the collecting ducts
are very permeable to water.
• Water flows passively from tubules and collecting
ducts, by osmosis into the medulla tissue and back
into the blood of the peritubular capillaries.
• The amount of water that moves out of the filtrate is
determined by the level of hydration of the body fluids
and is regulated by the antidiuretic hormone (ADH).
TUBULAR SECRETION: DISTAL CONVOLUTED TUBLES
The active removal of unnecessary substances from
the blood in the peritubular capillaries into the tubular
filtrate in:
• ammonia
• potassium ions (K+)
• hydrogen ions (H+)
• sodium ions (Na+)
• bicarbonate ions
• drugs e.g. penicillin
SUMMARY
ACTIVITY 1
Name the processes shown at 1, 2, 3 and 4.
1 – glomerular ultrafiltration 2 – tubular re-absorption
3 – tubular secretion 4 – excretion
Mention 3 substances that move back into the
blood at process 2.
Glucose, amino acids, vitamins, water (any 3)
ACTIVITY 2
In which region of the kidney would you find this
structure?
In the cortex ✓
Name the process in urine formation that occurs in
this structure.
Glomerular / Ultra- filtration ✓
ACTIVITY
Describe two structural adaptations of part
C for the process that happens there.
Walls are made of a single / thin layer ✓ to
facilitate diffusion ✓ of substances.
Many tiny pores ✓ act as microfilters, restricting
large substances such as proteins / blood
corpuscles. ✓
Lots of capillaries ✓ to ensure large surface area.
✓
THANK YOU
