| Stucture of mammanlian kidney | - Fibrous capsule
- Cortex
- Medulla
- Renal pelvis
- Ureter
- Renal artery
- Renal vein |
| Fibrous capsule | - An outer membrane that protects it |
| Cortex | - Lighter colored outer region made up of renal (Bowman's) capsules, convoluted tubules + blood vessels |
| Medulla | - Darker coloured inner region made up of loops of Henle, collecting ducts + blood vessels |
| Renal pelvis | - Funnel-shaped cavity that collects urine into ureter |
| Ureter | - A tube that carries urine to the bladder |
| Renal artery | - Supplies kidney with blood from heart via aorta |
| Renal vein | - Returns blood to heart via vena cava |
| Nephron | - Functional unit of kidney
- Narrow tube up to 14 mm long
- Closed at 1 end
- 2 twisted regions separated by long hairpin loop |
| Structure of nephron | - Afferent arteriole
- Efferent arteriole
- Glomerulus
- Bowmans Capsule
- Proximal convoluted tubule
- Loop of Henle
- Distal convoluted tubule
- Collecting Duct |
| Afferent arteriole | - ADH causes aquaporins to be produced here to cause more
reabsorption of water back into the blood |
| Efferent arteriole | - The wider vessel that brings in unfiltered, oxygenated blood to nephron.. |
| Glomerulus | - Ions are secreted back into the capillaries |
| Bowmans Capsule | - The counter current mechanism occurs here – sets up a concentration gradient in the medulla |
| Proximal convoluted tubule | - The narrower vessel that takes blood away from glomerulus |
| Loop of Henle | - 80% water, all glucose and amino acids and some minerals (Na + , Cl - ) selectively reabsorbed here |
| Second convoluted (distal) tubule | - The top part of the nephron where ultrafiltration occurs |
| Collecting Duct | - Small molecules e.g. water urea and glucose are filtered out |
