nephrons
Renal filtration structures
Nephrons are the microscopic filtering units of the kidney.
Each human kidney contains roughly a million nephrons, which remove waste products from the blood and regulate water and electrolyte balance.
The nephron's structure—a tiny blood-filtering capsule connected to a winding tubule—allows it to produce urine while reclaiming useful substances.
Reclaiming filtered substances internally
- secretionSubstance released by glands
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- dilutionReduction in concentration
- antidiuretic hormonePituitary peptide reducing urination
aldosterone · renin · aquaporins · osmosis · bicarbonate · ammonia · phosphate · vitamin D
Capillary knot filtering blood
- tubuleMinute cylindrical duct
- afferent arterioleBlood vessel entering glomerulus
- cortexOrgan's external tissue
- medullaInnermost organ tissue
Kidney filtration measurement
- creatinine clearanceKidney waste-removal efficiency measure
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- blood pressureCirculatory force measurement
- sievingFiltering through mesh
albumin · protein · oncotic pressure · filtrate · waste removal · electrolytes · urea · secretion
Renal tissue inflammation
- chronic kidney diseaseGradual renal function loss
- proteinuriaAbnormal urinary albumin levels
- hematuriaPlasma in urinary output
- dialysisMechanical blood filtration
transplant · fibrosis · sclerosis · polycystic · IgA nephropathy · membranous · ischemia · toxicity
reabsorption
Reclaiming filtered substances internally
- secretionSubstance released by glands
- concentrationSustained single-minded attention
- dilutionReduction in concentration
antidiuretic hormone · aldosterone · renin · aquaporins · osmosis · bicarbonate · ammonia · phosphate · vitamin D
glomerulus
Capillary knot filtering blood
- tubuleMinute cylindrical duct
- afferent arterioleBlood vessel entering glomerulus
- cortexOrgan's external tissue
GFR
Kidney filtration measurement
- creatinine clearanceKidney waste-removal efficiency measure
- plasmaElectrified matter state
- blood pressureCirculatory force measurement
sieving · albumin · protein · oncotic pressure · filtrate · waste removal · electrolytes · urea · secretion · excretion
nephritis
Renal tissue inflammation
- chronic kidney diseaseGradual renal function loss
- proteinuriaAbnormal urinary albumin levels
- hematuriaPlasma in urinary output
dialysis · transplant · fibrosis · sclerosis · polycystic · IgA nephropathy · membranous · ischemia · toxicity · nephrotoxic
- excretory systemkidney, kidneys, bladder, urinary bladder, urethra
- kidneyskidney, glomerulus, glomeruli, tubules, tubule
- kidney anatomykidney, kidneys, glomerulus, glomeruli, calyces
- Osmoregulationosmoregulation, osmosis, osmotic pressure, water balance, electrolyte balance
- cellscells, blood cell, cell theory, nerve cell, red blood cell
- microstructuresmitochondria, ribosomes, lysosomes, centrioles, vacuoles
nephronskidneys
Blood-filtering organ pair
kidney · renal system · urinary system · organs · gross anatomy