Question

Are vasa recta seen in cortical nephrons?

Answer 1

Vasa recta:

1. Vasa recta include the straight arterioles and venules in the kidney.
2. They are found running parallel to and surrounding the loop of Henle in nephrons.
3. The blood vessels supply blood to the kidney and directly enter the renal medulla.
4. They carry blood at a slow rate to maintain the concentration gradient across the renal medulla.
5. Cortical nephrons are characterized by the presence of a short loop of Henle that extends only up to the outer region of the renal medulla.
6. Due to the reduced length of the loop of Henle, vasa recta are absent in cortical nephrons.