Nephron Anatomy

• Nephron anatomy are the microscopic structural and functional units of the kidney, crucial for the process of filtering blood, removing waste, and regulating fluid and electrolyte balance.
• Each kidney contains about 1 million nephrons.
• A nephron is composed of two main parts: the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule.

Renal Corpuscle

• The renal corpuscle is the initial filtering component of the nephron and is located in the renal cortex.
• It consists of two main structures:

  1. Glomerulus:

     • A cluster of capillaries where blood filtration begins, separating water and small solutes from larger molecules.

  2. Bowman’s Capsule:

     • Encases the glomerulus, with an inner layer (podocytes) and an outer layer, collecting the filtrate to pass it to the renal tubule.

Renal Tubule

• The renal tubule is a long, coiled tube that converts the filtrate from the Bowman’s capsule into urine by reabsorption and secretion.
• It is divided into several segments:

  1. Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT):

     • Reabsorbs water, sodium, glucose, and nutrients from the filtrate.

  2. Loop of Henle:

     • Extends into the medulla, with descending and ascending limbs to concentrate urine by regulating water and salt levels.

  3. Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT):

     • Further adjusts ion balance and pH, playing a key role in regulating potassium, sodium, and calcium.

  4. Collecting Duct:

     • Receives processed filtrate from multiple DCTs, fine-tuning water reabsorption and determining urine’s final concentration and volume.

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