Nephron Anatomy and Physiology

Flashcards about the anatomy and physiology of the nephron.

Afferent Arteriole

Blood going into the nephron or into the glomerulus.

Efferent Arteriole

Blood leaving the glomerulus that goes into the peritubular capillaries.

Bowman's Capsule

Plasma and filtrate are exactly the same concentration

Filtrate

Material that comes out of the blood into Bowman's capsule, consisting of water, salts, glucose, amino acids, and nitrogenous wastes.

Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT)

Filtrate is coming from the Bowman's capsule and going into this, and then it will be continuing to the loop of Henle

Glucose and Amino Acids

100% removed from the proximal convoluted tubule and actively pumped back into the blood.

Sodium Ions

Actively pumped into the blood, and chlorine ions follow due to a charge attraction.

Tubular Excretion

Taking materials from the blood and putting them into the tube.

Collecting Duct

Filtrate leaves the distal convoluted tubule and goes here and is classified as urine.

Sodium Ions

Absorbed to control blood pressure under hormone control by aldosterone.

Excess Materials in Blood

Drugs such as penicillin, hormones, HCG, and vitamins that kidneys clean out.

Proximal Convoluted Tubule

Reabsorbs about 65% of the water in the first reabsorption state.

Distal Convoluted Tubule

Reabsorbs anywhere from 10 to 15% of the water depending on what the body needs.

Loop of Henle

Reabsorbs about 15% of the water

Collecting Duct

Reabsorbs anywhere from five to 10% of the water depending on what's needed.

Descending Loop of Henle

Only permeable to water, so water will be absorbed here

Ascending Loop of Henle

Impermeable to water; sodium will go out, chlorine will follow, and that'll cause the tonicity down deep in the medulla to stay high

Countercurrent Mechanism

Located right at the beginning of the medulla; gets water leaving the descending loop of Henle because it's hypertonic to the descending loop of Henle.