Name: Kidneys and Their Structure
Uploaded: 2019-07-19
Duration: 6 min 20 s
Description: The kidneys are important organs in the body. They are two bean-shaped organs located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine. Learn more.

Question

What is a uriniferous tubule? How does it function?

Accepted Answer

The kidney is composed of minute tubules called uriniferous tubules or nephrons, or we can say that nephron or uriniferous tubules are the units of kidneys. It consists of Bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct.

Impure blood of the whole body enters the Bowman's capsule through the afferent arteriole, which then enters the knot-like structure enclosed by the capsule called glomerulus. Here, ultrafiltration occurs in which blood gets filtered and clean blood leaves the Bowman's capsule through the efferent arteriole.

During the process of ultrafiltration, glomerular filtrate is formed. This filtrate passes down the cup-shaped structure into its cavity and then to the renal tubule.

The glomerular filtrate comprises many excretory materials like nitrogenous wastes, excess water and salt with useful materials like glucose, amino acids, etc. Useful materials are reabsorbed in the PCT, loop of Henle, and DCT.

Rest content of the filtrate is transported to the collecting duct as urine, where more reabsorption of water takes place if needed to maintain the osmotic pressure of the blood.

Then urine is transported to the pelvis of the kidneys. Then to the ureters and then to the urinary bladder, which stores the urine for a while. After that urine is excreted out of the body through the urethra.

What is a uriniferous tubule? How does it function?

Important Questions on The Excretory System

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