This image illustrates the detailed structure of a nephron, the functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and forming urine. Each nephron consists of several key components that work together to remove waste products and regulate fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
Key Components:
Bowman’s Capsule:
- A cup-shaped structure that encases the glomerulus. It collects the filtrate that is filtered out of the blood by the glomerulus.
Glomerulus:
- A network of capillaries located inside the Bowman’s capsule. It is the initial site of blood filtration, where water, ions, glucose, and waste products are filtered out of the blood to form the filtrate.
Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT):
- The first segment of the renal tubule. It is responsible for the reabsorption of water, ions, and nutrients like glucose and amino acids from the filtrate back into the bloodstream.
Loop of Henle:
- A U-shaped tube that extends from the proximal convoluted tubule. It consists of a descending limb and an ascending limb. The loop of Henle concentrates the urine by reabsorbing water and salts.
Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT):
- The segment of the renal tubule that follows the loop of Henle. It continues to reabsorb ions and water and plays a role in secreting potassium and hydrogen ions into the filtrate.
Collecting Duct:
- The final part of the nephron that collects urine from multiple nephrons. It further concentrates the urine by reabsorbing water under the influence of antidiuretic hormone (ADH). The urine then flows into the renal pelvis and ureter for excretion.
Understanding the structure and function of each component of the nephron is essential for comprehending how the kidneys filter blood, maintain fluid and electrolyte balance, and excrete waste products.
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