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The glomerulus (pl.: glomeruli) is a network of small blood vessels (capillaries) known as a tuft, located at the beginning of a nephron in the kidney. Each of the two kidneys contains about one million nephrons. The tuft is structurally supported by the mesangium (the space between the blood vessels), composed of intraglomerular mesangial cells.
Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) is the volume of fluid filtered from the renal (kidney) glomerular capillaries into the Bowman's capsule per unit time. [4] Central to the physiologic maintenance of GFR is the differential basal tone of the afferent (input) and efferent (output) arterioles (see diagram).
This illustration demonstrates the normal kidney physiology, including the Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT), Loop of Henle, and Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT). It also includes illustrations showing where some types of diuretics act, and what they do. Renal physiology (Latin renes, "kidneys") is the study of the physiology of the kidney.
In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organs [1] that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. [ 2 ] [ 3 ] They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space , and in adult humans are about 12 centimetres ( 4 + 1 ⁄ 2 inches) in ...
Mammalian kidneys are susceptible to ischemic injury because mammals lack a renal-portal system, and as a result, vascular vasoconstriction in the glomeruli can lead to decreased blood supply to the entire kidney. The kidneys are susceptible to toxic injury, since toxins are reabsorbed in the tubules along with most of the filtered substances. [47]
Abnormal kidney function may cause too much or too little urine to be produced. The ability of the kidneys to filter protein is often measured, as urine albumin or urine protein levels, [2] measured either at a single instance or, because of variation throughout the day, as 24-hour urine tests. [citation needed]
This is an accepted version of this page This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 5 February 2025. This article is about the human urinary system. For urinary systems of other vertebrates, see Urinary systems of birds, urinary systems of reptiles, and urinary systems of amphibians. Anatomical system consisting of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and the urethra Urinary system 1 ...
In multilobar kidneys, the pyramids are separated from each other by dipped into the kidney areas of cortical tissue known as the renal columns. [61] Blood enters the kidney through the renal artery, which in the multilobar kidney then branches in the region of the renal pelvis into large interlobar arteries that pass through the renal columns.