What is a Nephron?

A nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney. It is responsible for filtering out waste products from the blood and creating urine. Each kidney is made up of millions of tiny nephrons, and it is the nephrons that do the actual work of filtering and reabsorbing substances from the body.

How Does a Nephron Work?

A nephron is basically a tube-shaped structure that is made up of two parts: the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle is the part of the nephron that is responsible for filtering the blood. It consists of a glomerulus, which is a tiny, tangled network of capillaries. The walls of the glomerulus are very thin and allow small molecules and waste products from the blood to pass through them into the renal tubule.

The renal tubule is the second part of the nephron and is responsible for reabsorbing the necessary substances from the filtered blood. From the renal tubule, the filtered blood is sent back into the circulation. It is also from the renal tubule that urine is formed. The substances that are removed from the blood are sent to the bladder and eventually excreted as urine.

A Labelled Diagram of the Nephron

A labelled diagram of the nephron can help us to understand how it works. The diagram below shows the main components of the nephron.

Glomerulus: This is the part of the nephron that is responsible for filtering the blood. It is made up of a tangled network of capillaries, and its walls are very thin so that small molecules and waste products from the blood can pass through them into the renal tubule.

Renal Tubule: This is the second part of the nephron, and it is responsible for reabsorbing the necessary substances from the filtered blood. It is from the renal tubule that urine is formed.

Bowman’s Capsule: This is the capsule that surrounds the glomerulus. It is made up of two layers of epithelial cells and helps to protect the glomerulus.

Arteriole: This is a small artery that carries blood to the glomerulus.

Proximal Tubule: This is the part of the renal tubule that is closest to the glomerulus. It is responsible for reabsorbing certain substances from the filtered blood.

Loop of Henle: This is the part of the renal tubule that is responsible for regulating the water balance in the body.

Distal Tubule: This is the part of the renal tubule that is farthest from the glomerulus. It is responsible for reabsorbing certain substances from the filtered blood.

Conclusion

The nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney. It is responsible for filtering out waste products from the blood and creating urine. A labelled diagram of the nephron can help us to understand how it works and the various components that make it up.