This section contains 264 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |
Kidneys and the Excretory System
Nephrons are small tubules that are abundant in quantity. They are closely packed tubules that extend from the kidney's cortex into the internal medulla. A nephron may be described as a long coiled structure with one end shaped like a cup that fits over a mass of capillaries. The other end of a nephron opens out into the duct that collects urine.
The "cup-shape" of a nephron may be called the glomerular or the bowman's capsule. They are both located within the cortex of the kidney. The walls of each tubule are a cell thick. The loop at the bottom of the nephron is called the loop of Henle. The loop of Henle descends into the medulla and loops back into the cortex. The loop of Henle empties out into a collecting duct.
This section contains 264 words (approx. 1 page at 300 words per page) |