Question

Given is a jumbled list of the parts of a certain body structure - Loop of Henle, Bowman's capsule, convoluted tubule, glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubule.
(i) Name the structure to which the listed parts belong.
(ii) Rearrange the parts in their proper sequence from the starting point to where they end.

Answer 1

(i) The structure to which the listed parts belong is the Kidney.

(ii) Blood is filtered in the kidney under high pressure, a process called ultrafiltration. Filtration is a way of separating a mixture of chemicals based on the size of the particles and this is exactly what happens to the blood in the kidney. Red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets are all too large to cross the filtration barrier. Blood plasma (with the exception of large plasma proteins) is filtered from the blood forming a liquid called glomerular filtrate. The kidneys produce about 180 litres of glomerular filtrate per day. Ultrafiltration happens in the glomerulus and the glomerular filtrate (GF) passes into the Bowmans capsule. The high pressure is generated by the blood vessel that takes blood into the glomerulus (afferent arteriole) being much wider than the blood vessel that takes blood out of the glomerulus (efferent arteriole). The plasma of blood (minus the large plasma proteins) is squeezed out of the very leaky capillaries in the glomerulus and into the first part of the nephron.