Urine formation involves three key processes: glomerular filtration, reabsorption, and tubular secretion. Glomerular filtration occurs in the nephron, filtering blood plasma while reabsorption occurs mainly in the proximal convoluted tubule, with 99% of the filtrate being reabsorbed and only 1.5 liters resulting as urine. The loop of Henle and vasa recta create a concentration gradient necessary for the production of concentrated urine.

2. Urine formation involves three main processes
⓵ Glomerular filtration
⓶ Reabsorption
⓷ Tubular Secretion

3. ⓵ GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
➢ The first step in urine formation is the filtration of
blood, which is carried out by the glomerulus
➢ This process occurs in the Malpighian corpuscle of
the nephron
➢ The filtration membrane consist of 3 layers:
1. Endothelium of glomerular blood vessels.
2. Epithelium of Bowman’s capsule.
3. Basement membrane between these two layers.
➢ Epithelial cells (podocytes) of the Bowman’s capsule
are arranged in an intricate manner leaving some
minute spaces called filtration slits (slit pores).
➢ Almost all constituents of blood plasma except the
proteins pass onto lumen of Bowman’s capsule.
Therefore, it is considered as a process of ultra
filtration

4. ⓵ GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
➢ The plasma fluid filters out from glomerular
capillaries into bowman's capsule of nephrons is
called glomerular filtrate
➢ About 1100-1200 ml of blood is filtered by kidneys
per minute. It constitutes 1/5th of the blood pumped
out by each ventricle of the heart in a minute.
➢ The amount of glomerular filtrate formed per minute
is called Glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
➢ Normal GFR = 125 ml/minute, i.e., 180 litres/day.

5. ➢ 180 litres of glomerular filtrate is produced daily. But
99% of this is reabsorbed by renal tubules. So normal
volume of urine released is 1.5 litres.
➢ From the filtrate, glucose, amino acids, Na+, etc. are
reabsorbed actively and nitrogenous wastes are
absorbed passively.
➢ Passive reabsorption of water occurs in the initial
segments of the nephron.
➢ PCT reabsorbs most of the nutrients, and 70-80% of
electrolytes & water.
⓶ REABSORPTION

6. ➢ Simple cuboidal brush border epithelium of PCT
increases surface area for reabsorption.
➢ Loop of Henle maintains high osmolarity of medullary
interstitial fluid.
➢ Descending limb is permeable to water but almost
impermeable to electrolytes. This concentrates the
filtrate.
➢ In Ascending limb, minimum reabsorption occurs. It is
impermeable to water but allows transport of
electrolytes. So, filtrate gets diluted.
⓶ REABSORPTION

7. ➢ In DCT, conditional reabsorption of Na+ & water takes
place.
➢ Collecting duct extends from cortex to inner parts of
medulla. It reabsorbs large amount of water to
concentrate urine.
➢ It also allows passage of small amounts of urea into
medullary interstitium to keep up the osmolarity.
⓶ REABSORPTION

8. ➢ Cells of PCT & DCT maintain ionic (Na & K balance)
and acid-base balance (pH) of body fluids by selective
secretion of H+, K+ & NH3 into the filtrate and
absorption of HCO3
- from it.
➢ Collecting duct maintains pH & ionic balance of
blood by the secretion of H+ and K+ ions.
➢ Some drugs are filtered in the glomerulus and so are
actively secreted into the filtrate during the tubular
secretion
⓷ TUBULAR SECRETION

10. ➢ Mammals have the ability to produce a concentrated
urine.
➢ The Henle's loop and vasa recta play a significant role
in this.
➢ There are two counter current mechanisms inside the
kidneys.
I. The flow of filtrate in the two limbs of Henle's loop is in
opposite directions and thus forms a counter current.
II. The flow of blood through the two limbs of vasa recta is
also in a counter current pattern
➢ Due to the counter current and proximity between
Henle’s loop & vasa recta, osmolarity increases from
cortex (300 mOsmolL-1) to the inner medullary
interstitium (1200 mOsmolL-1). This gradient is
caused by NaCl & urea.

11. ➢ The descending limb of the loop of Henle is
permeable to water but not salts and ascending limb
of the loop of Henle is permeable to salts but not
water.
➢ NaCl is transported by ascending limb of Henle’s
loop that is exchanged with descending limb of vasa
recta. NaCl is returned to interstitium by ascending
limb of vasa recta.
➢ Similarly, small amount of urea enter the thin
segment of the ascending limb of Henle’s loop which
is transported back to the interstitium by the
collecting tubule.

12. ➢ Thus electrolytes and urea are retained in the
interstitium and maintain a concentration gradient
(interstitial gradient) in medullary interstitium.
➢ The loop of Henle establishes a salt gradient
(hypertonicity) in the medulla
➢ It enables easy passage of water from collecting
tubule to concentrate the filtrate (urine).
➢ Thus DCT & collecting duct produce urine four times
concentrated than the initial filtrate formed.

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