What is the main function of the loop of Henle?
What is the main function of the loop of Henle?
Loop of Henle, long U-shaped portion of the tubule that conducts urine within each nephron of the kidney of reptiles, birds, and mammals. The principal function of the loop of Henle is in the recovery of water and sodium chloride from urine.
What is the function of vasa recta?
These capillaries are hairpin-shaped blood vessels and they run parallel to the loops of Henle. – This hairpin structure turns down the rate of blood flow, which helps in maintaining the osmotic gradient required for water reabsorption. – Henle’s loop and vasa recta play a significant role in water reabsorption.
What do you mean by Vasa recta?
The vasa recta of the kidney, (vasa rectae renis) are the straight arterioles, and the straight venules of the kidney, – a series of blood vessels in the blood supply of the kidney that enter the medulla as the straight arterioles, and leave the medulla to ascend to the cortex as the straight venules.
What is the difference between a cortical and Juxtamedullary nephron?
Cortical nephrons have a glomerulus located nearer to the outer parts of the cortex and their loops of Henle are short. Juxtamedullary nephrons have a glomerulus near the junction of the cortex and medulla and their loops of Henle penetrate deep into the medulla.
What type of nephron is the glomerulus connected to?
In general, superficial nephrons have glomeruli located near the surface of the kidney and give rise to short-loop nephrons. These nephrons lack a tAL and do not penetrate into the inner medulla. Instead, their loop of Henle turns at the inner–outer medullary border and their tDL connects to a mTAL at the hairpin turn.
What percent of nephrons are Juxtamedullary?
There are two types of nephrons— cortical nephrons (85 percent), which are deep in the renal cortex, and juxtamedullary nephrons (15 percent), which lie in the renal cortex close to the renal medulla.
Where is most of the nephron located?
Nephron
- Cortical nephrons – located entirely in cortex; most nephrons (80%)
- Juxtamedullary nephrons – found at boundary of cortex and medulla.
Where is water reabsorbed in the nephron?
proximal convoluted tubule
Is urea reabsorbed in the nephron?
Urea is an end product of protein catabolism by the liver with a molecular mass of 60 Da. Urea is freely filtered by the glomerulus and then passively reabsorbed in both the proximal and distal nephrons.
Which substances are reabsorbed actively in nephron?
Sodium is actively pumped out, while potassium and chloride diffuse down their electrochemical gradients through channels in the tubule wall and into the bloodstream. The walls of the thick ascending limb are impermeable to water, so in this section of the nephron water is not reabsorbed along with sodium.
What is the most potent stimulus of the thirst mechanism?
Subtle changes in plasma osmolality are the most potent stimulus for thirst. In response to increases in osmolality, osmoreceptors activate release of the neurohormone vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone). The released vasopressin acts on the kidneys to conserve water to correct the hyperosmolar state.