Kidney Structure Flashcards
What is a nephron?
The functional unit of the kidney.
What is ultrafiltration?
Filtration of the blood at a molecular level under pressure.
How does the blood come in an out of the kidney?
In from the renal artery and out from the renal vein.
What is the role of the kidneys?
Excretion
Name the regions of the kidney from outer to inner.
Cortex
Medulla
Pelvis which leads into the ureter
What are the tiny tubules in the kidney called?
Nephrons
Describe the path of the nephron through the kidney.
Starts in the cortex at a cup-shaped structure called the bowman’s capsule. The remainder of the nephron is a coiled tubule that passes through the cortex, forms a loop down into the medulla and back to the cortex, before joining a collecting duct that passes back into the medulla.
Explain the blood supply of a nephron up and including the glomerulus.
The renal artery splits into many afferent arterioles, which each lead to a knot of capillaries called the glomerulus.
What is the name of the arterioles as they leaves the glomerulus?
Efferent arterioles
What is the name of the loop of a nephron?
The loop of Henle
What are the three layers of the base of the bowman’s capsule called?
Endothelium of the capillary
The basement membrane
The epithelial cells of the bowman’s capsule
What is the name of the epithelial cells in the base of the bowman’s capsule?
Podocytes
Describe the endothelium of the capillary in the base of the bowman’s capsule.
Narrow gaps between the cells of the capillary wall
Cells of endothelium contain pores called fenestrations
Gaps allow blood plasma and substances dissolved in it to pass out the capillary.
Describe the basement membrane.
Consists of a fine mesh of collagen fibres and glycoproteins
Mesh acts as a filter to prevent passage of molecules
Most proteins/RBC are held in the capillaries of the glomerulus
Describe the epithelial layer of the base of the bowman’s capsule (podocytes).
They have many finger like projections called major processes
Each major processes have minor processes called foot processes
Ensure there are gaps between the cells fluid passes through
