How does the loop of Henle
Loop of Henle
In the kidney, the loop of Henle is the portion of a nephron that leads from the proximal convoluted tubule to the distal convoluted tubule. Named after its discoverer, the German anatomist Friedrich Gustav Jakob Henle, the loop of Henle's main function is to create a concentration gradient in the medulla of the kidney.
What is the loop of Henle in kidney?
The loop of Henle is a part of the nephron in the kidney that is responsible for reabsorbing water and minerals from the urine. The loop consists of a thin section of renal tubule that wraps around a larger diameter section called the medulla.
What is countercurrent multiplication?
This is called countercurrent multiplication, countercurrent multiplication, which is also, I'll admit, a mouthful, but it completely makes sense, I promise. Countercurrent multiplication. We say countercurrent because the descending limb and the ascending limb go in opposite directions.
What are the capillaries that run parallel to the loops of Henle?
The vasa recta capillaries are long, hairpin-shaped blood vessels that run parallel to the loops of Henle. The hairpin turns slow the rate of blood flow, which helps maintain the osmotic gradient required for water reabsorption. Illustration of the vasa recta which run alongside nephrons. How does countercurrent multiplication work?
How many limbs does the loop of Henle have?
This entire structure is affectionately called the loop of Henle, the loop of Henle, and it's got two limbs to it, as I've shown here, and they're going in opposite directions.
What is the function of the countercurrent multiplier in the kidneys?
Countercurrent multiplication in the kidneys is the process of using energy to generate an osmotic gradient that enables you to reabsorb water from the tubular fluid and produce concentrated urine.
What is responsible for the countercurrent multiplier?
The counter-current multiplier or the countercurrent mechanism is used to concentrate urine in the kidneys by the nephrons of the human excretory system. The nephrons involved in the formation of concentrated urine extend all the way from the cortex of the kidney to the medulla and are accompanied by vasa recta.
Where does the countercurrent multiplier occur?
countercurrent multiplier system An active process occurring in the loops of Henle in the kidney, which is responsible for the production of concentrated urine in the collecting ducts of the nephrons.
What is the purpose of the loop of Henle?
The primary function of the loops of Henle and the thick ascending limb of the distal tubule is the concentration of urine utilizing a principle called 'countercurrent multiplication. ' The medulla possesses a gradient of urea and salt with increasing concentrations of these solutes closer to the papillae.
How does the loop of Henle work?
The principal function of the loop of Henle is in the recovery of water and sodium chloride from urine. This function allows production of urine that is far more concentrated than blood, limiting the amount of water needed as intake for survival.
How does the loop of Henle concentrate urine?
Water present in the filtrate in the papillary duct flows through aquaporin channels out of the duct, moving passively down its concentration gradient. This process reabsorbs water and creates a concentrated urine for excretion.
What is the purpose of the countercurrent multiplier quizlet?
What is the purpose of the countercurrent mechanism in the nephron? It creates a highly concentrated interstitial fluid so that urine can be concentrated by the collecting ducts when they are permeable to water.
What is the difference between countercurrent exchange and countercurrent multiplier?
Countercurrent multiplication is something the tubule does to create the high interstitial osmolality, and a large osmolality gradient between the renal medulla and the renal cortex. The countercurrent exchange mechanism is something the vasa recta do to maintain this gradient.
Which one plays an important role in counter current mechanism?
The counter current mechanism takes place in Juxtamedullary nephron. The function of the countercurrent multiplier is to produce the hyperosmotic Medullary Interstitium. The ADH promotes water reabsorption through the walls of the distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct.
What is the function of countercurrent exchange?
Countercurrent exchange in an U-type countercurrent exchanger may have two functions: (1) trapping of solutes within the system by transfer of solutes from the ascending to the descending limb and (2) preventing water from entering the system by short circuiting from the descending to the ascending limb.
What is countercurrent exchange mechanism?
Countercurrent exchange is a mechanism occurring in nature and mimicked in industry and engineering, in which there is a crossover of some property, usually heat or some chemical, between two flowing bodies flowing in opposite directions to each other.
How does countercurrent exchange work in fish?
Fish gills use a design called 'countercurrent oxygen exchange' to maximize the amount of oxygen that their blood can pick up. They achieve this by maximizing the amount of time their blood is exposed to water that has a higher oxygen level, even as the blood takes on more oxygen.
What is countercurrent multiplication?
Your kidneys have a remarkable mechanism for reabsorbing water from the tubular fluid, called countercurrent multiplication.
How does the length of the loop of Henle determine the size of the gradient?
The length of the loop of Henle determines the size of the gradient - the longer the loop, the greater the osmotic gradient.
Why do solutes diffuse into the tubule?
In the descending limb, solutes (like sodium) can diffuse into the tubule because of the reabsorption of these solutes that occur in the ascending limb. (Note: ascending limb can reabsorb small solutes but it is impermeable to water, thus tubule becomes more hypoosmotic.)
Do loops of Henle work?
Although the loops of Henle are essential for concentrating urine, they do not work alone. The specialized blood capillary network (the vasa recta) that surrounds the loops are equally important. The vasa recta capillaries are long, hairpin-shaped blood vessels that run parallel to the loops of Henle.