The structural and functional unit of kidney is called Nephron, from where blood gets filtered and urine is formed. Both kidneys contain about 2 million uriniferoustubule (Nephron).
Nephron is composed of following parts.
- Bowmen’s capsule:
- Cup like structure, inner wall is lined by podocyte
- Contain blood capillaries called Glomerulus, formed of efferent and afferent arteriole.
- Helps in filtration of blood to form urine (Glomerular filtration)
- Bowmen’s capsule + Glomerulus: Malphigian body.
- Proximal Convulated Tubule (PCT)
- Convoluted part arising from Bowmen’s capsule.
- Permeable to water and mineral
- Regulate the pH of filtrate.
- Loop of henle
- U shaped structure in Renal Medulla.
- Contains narrow descending limb and wide ascending limp.
- Reabsorb water and sodium chloride from filtrate.
- Conserve water and thus produce hypotonic urine.
- DCT ( Distal Convoluted Tubule)
- Convoluted part in renal cortex.
- Reabsorb minerals and regulate the pH of urine.
- Collecting tubule
- Terminal long narrow tubes in kidney.
- Helps in transportation of urine and absorption of water.
- Open into duct of bellini and finally into Renal Pelvis through minor and mayor calyces.
