Nephron Function Flashcards
What do nephrons do?
They filter blood and then reabsorb useful materials from the filtrate before eliminating the remainder as urine
What are the three key stages of this process?
Ultrafiltration
Selective reabsorption
Osmoregulation
What happens during ultrafiltration?
Blood is filtered out of the glomerulus at the Bowman’s Capsule to form filtrate
What happens during selective reabsorption?
Usable materials are reabsorbed in convoluted tubules (both proximal and distal)
What happens during Osmoregulation?
The loop of Henle establishes a salt gradient, which draws water out of the collecting duct
What does each nephron connect to?
A collecting duct which feeds into the renal pelvis
Why are collecting ducts not considered to be a part of a single nephron?
They are shared by nephrons
What is the nephron?
The functional unit of the kidney
Bowman’s capsule
First part of the nephron where blood is initially filtered (to form filtrate)
Proximal convoluted tubule
Folded structure connected to the Bowman’s capsule where selective reabsorption occurs
Loop of Henle
A selectively permeable loop that descends into the medulla and establishes a salt gradient
Distal convoluted tubule
A folded structure connected to the loop of Henle where further selective reabsorption occurs
How does the blood that needs to be filtered enter and leave the Bowman’s Capsule?
Enters via afferent arteriole
Leaves via efferent arteriole
What happens to the blood when within the Bowman’s capsule?
The blood is filtered at a capillary tuft called the glomerulus
Blood in the renal vein will have:
4 things
- less urea
- less water and solutes
- less glucose and oxygen
- more carbon dioxide
