RS 1

Flashcards generated from the lecture notes on the renal system and the structure and function of nephrons.

Nephron

The basic functional unit of the kidney that produces urine.

Afferent arteriole

The blood vessel that supplies blood to a single nephron.

Efferent arteriole

The blood vessel that drains blood away from the glomerulus.

Glomerulus

A network of capillaries located inside Bowman's capsule, responsible for filtering blood.

Bowman's capsule

The structure that encloses the glomerulus and is part of the renal corpuscle.

Proximal convoluted tubule

The segment of the nephron where bulk reabsorption of filtrate occurs.

Loop of Henle

A U-shaped section of the nephron responsible for concentrating urine.

Distal convoluted tubule

The segment of nephron that fine-tunes salt and water balance.

Collecting duct

A duct that receives filtrate from the distal tubule, involved in the regulation of water and sodium reabsorption.

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

The rate at which blood is filtered through the kidneys, typically about 180 liters per day.

Peritubular capillaries

The capillary network surrounding the tubules of the nephron, involved in reabsorption and secretion.

Vasa recta

A capillary network associated with juxtamedullary nephrons, which supplies blood to the renal medulla.

Filtrate

The fluid that is filtered into Bowman's capsule and is almost identical to protein-free plasma.

Osmosis

The movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from an area of lower solute concentration to an area of higher concentration.

Hormones controlling nephron function

Includes antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone that regulate salt and water balance.