What is the functional unit of the kidney and what is its function?
Functional unit of the kidney
Function of the functional unit of the kidney
The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron.
The nephron is a microscopic structure composed of the glomerulus and its Bowman's capsule and the tubule.
There are two types of nephrons: superficial ones, located in the outer part of the cortex (85%), and deep ones, close to the corticomedullary junction, called juxtamedullary nephrons.
The glomerulus is a structure composed of a tangle of capillaries, originating from the afferent arteriole, which after forming several lobules come together again to form the efferent arteriole.
The tubule is responsible for modifying the composition of the ultrafiltrate until it forms urine of definitive composition, which is eliminated through the excretory pathway to the outside.