NEPHRON

Is the functional unit of the kidney Found within cortex of the kidney Microscopic structure
of the kidney and this is concerned with urine formation also called functional unit of
kidney , the nephron consist of renal coporscles and renal tubules the nephron is a tube
consisting of close end and open end on the other side into collecting tubule the closed end
form cup shaped structure bowmans capsule or glomerular capsule lined simple squamous
epithelium the bowmans capsule nearly encloses glomerulus
a) Renal corposcles : consist of bowman capsule and network of capillaries ( glomerulus)
b) Renal tubules : consist of proximal convoluted tubules , loop of henle and distal
convoluted tubules lined by cuboidal epithelium the tubules descend into renal
medulla the distal convoluted tubules has a nuclei with taller cells called MACULA
DENSA the tubules join together draining the urine into renal pyramids to renal
papillae ,calyces to renal pelvis and then to ureters as in fig 1.0 & 1.1

Fig 1.0 Diagram showing the structure of nephron

Fig 1.1 Diagram showing the structure of nephron in the kidney
Renal artery subdivides into afferent arterioles and forms glomerulus this glomerulus
continues as efferent arteriole having the narrow lumen than afferent arteriole , efferent
arteriole coil the renal tubules forming second network of capillaries which later forms
venules to become renal vein which leaves kidney around the hilum . found within the
walls of afferent arteriole are juxtaglomerular cells that work in synergy with MACULA
DENSA secreting RENIN resulting in increase blood pressure
URINE FORMATION
The formation of urine involves three major processes The first is glomerular filtration, which
takes
place in the renal corpuscles. The second and third are tubular reabsorption and tubular
secretion ,which take place in the renal tubules. This is the process of forming urine from the
blood supplying the kidney the formation under go three stages :
1 FILTRATION : this is the process of filtering the blood through semi permeable
membrane walls of glomerulus and glomerular capsule here water ,small molecules pass
through the semi permeable membrane while the plasma proteins in blood ,blood cells and
large molecules are too big to pass through the membrane forming FITRATE this is
achieved through difference between the blood pressure in the glomerulus and pressure of
the filtrate
2 SELECTIVE REABSORPTION : Here within the convoluted tubules some of the
filtrate constituents are reabsorbed back to into the blood to maintain fluid ,electrolyte and
PH of the blood the constituents are example glucose ,amino
acids ,calcium ,sodium ,potassium,bicarbonates phosphate ,chloride and other ions
 3 TUBULAR SECRETION : Some substances that are not cleared during filtration
and escaped the process and need to be cleared out of circulation are secreted back into
the convoluted tubules such substances are excreted in the urine examples of such
substances are : drugs like (penicillin, aspirin e t c) ,foreign materials , hydrogen ions and
hormones

Fig 1.2 schematic presentation of urine formation

URINE COMPOSITION
I ) water 96 %
ii) urea 2 %
iii ) uric acid ,creatinine ,ammonia ,sodium ,potassium ,chlorides ,
phosphates ,sulpahates oxalates 2%
FIG 1.3 diagram that shows the role of hormones in urine formation