Named after its discoverer, the german anatomist friedrich gustav jakob henle, the loop of henle s main function is to create a concentration. The principal function of the loop of henle appears to be the recovery of water and sodium chloride from the urine. Many answers were focussed on the collecting duct rather than on the loop of henle, and several answers listed general functions of the kidney rather than those of the loop of henle. In the kidney, the loop of henle or henle s loop, henle loop, nephron loop or its latin counterpart ansa nephroni is the portion of a nephron that leads from the proximal convoluted tubule to the distal convoluted tubule. Loop of henle definition of loop of henle by medical dictionary. Henle and the loops is a funk and soul band formed in 2004 for the purpose of assisting charitable organizations in fundraising efforts. Many candidates did not mention or were unable to explain the role of the vasa recta in the physiological mechanisms of concentration. Since that time the band has performed in many venues for a number of worthy charities in central indiana. All mammals produce primarily urea sometime ammonia which is excreted in urine. Apr 12, 2020 descending limb of the loop of henle last updated on sun, 12 apr 2020 human physiology the deeper regions of the medulla, around the tips of the loops of juxtamedullary nephrons, reach a concentration of 1,200 to 1,400 mosm. Reabsorption and secretion along the loop of henle anatomy. The thin limbs of the loop of henle, which comprise the intermediate segment, connect the proximal tubule to the distal tubule and lie entirely within the renal medulla.
The loop of henle carries filtrate from the proximal tubule to the renal medulla. The loop of henle is located in a nephron, the functional unit of a kidney. Function of the thick ascending limb of henles loop american. Loop of henle, long, ushaped portion of the tubule that conducts urine within each nephron q. Epithelia of thin segments of henle s loop generally, we can divide nephrons into two groups. In addition, henle s thick segment is a major location of magnesium and calcium ion resorption. The loop of henle is found in the medulla of the kidney. No water will be reabsorbed here in the ascending limb, and because of this, we have a very beautiful system that occurs as a result. Loop of henle definition is the ushaped part of the nephron of birds and mammals that lies between and is continuous with the proximal and distal convoluted tubules and that functions in water resorption. Within the nephron of the kidney, the descending limb of loop of henle is the portion of the renal tubule constituting the first part of the loop of henle. Through the countercurrent multiplier effect, a hypertonic medulla is created allowing reabsorption of water from the collecting duct and the descending limb via osmosis. The physiology of the loop of henle request pdf researchgate. Henle loop definition of henle loop by medical dictionary. As it passes back up the ascending limb of the loop of henle and reabsorption of other ions occurs the urea becomes even more concentrated.
The lesson begins by ensuring that students know the terminology associated with this topic and that there are two limbs descending and ascending. The importance of the thick ascending limb of henle s loop in renal physiology and pathophysiology miriam zacchia, giovanna capolongo, luca rinaldi, giovambattista capasso division of nephrology, department of cardiothoracic and respiratory sciences, universita della campania luigi vanvitelli, naples, italy abstract. Its main function is to reabsorb water and sodium chloride from the filtrate. The concentrated urine then continues up through the ascending loop where salts are leeched from the solution. Loop of henle definition of loop of henle by merriamwebster. The loop of henle is a part of a nephron, a tiny tube inside the kidneys that filters solutes. Its function is to reabsorb water and important nutrients in the filtrate. Structure and function of the thin limbs of the loop of henle. The ascending limb of the loop of henle is probably the easiest if not the most obvious place to begin understanding how the loop of henle creates the osmotic gradient down the medulla that is so crucial to producing concentrated urine. Descending limb of the loop of henle human physiology. Appearing with four other bands, henle and the loops helped raise funds for the kids first foundation. The thick ascending loop of henle is a major resorptive segment of the nephron and accounts for resorption of nearly a quarter of the filtered load of sodium, chloride, and potassium ions. The loop of henle, distal tubule and collecting duct.
Named after its discoverer, the german anatomist friedrich gustav jakob henle. The thin limb of the short loop nephron is confined to the descending limb, whereas thin limb segments of the long loop nephron consist of. The nephron simple structure and function of kidney. The loop of henle has a thin descending limb, a thick ascending limb and a thin ascending limb. The kidneys of reptiles do not have loops of henle and so they are unable to produce concentrated urine also, whilst a large bladder is present in chelonians turtles snakes and some lizards do not have a bladder at all. Loop of henle definition of loop of henle by the free. The loop of henle carries filtrate from the proximal tubule to the renal medulla and back to the renal cortex. The counter current multiplier is in the ascending loop of henle. The filtrate also gets diluted along the thick ascending limb tal of this segment, since it is. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. This is called countercurrent multiplication, countercurrent multiplication, which is also, ill admit, a mouthful, but it completely makes sense, i promise. In desert animals, like the kangaroo mouse, both these sections of the loops of henle are longer, providing greater surface area by which more water and salt can be removed from the urine as it passes through the lops.
Overview of renal function anatomyfunction of the kidney. The rst description of renal tubule is attributed to the italian. Pdf the loop of henle as the milestone of mammalian kindey. Request pdf the physiology of the loop of henle this chapter reports the morphology and function of the thick ascending limb tal of the loop of henle a. Besides, loop of henle is also divided into thick and thin segments. The urea from the collecting duct enters the medullary interstial fluid and diffuses into the loop of henle. While it has been generally accepted that active nacl transport in the thick ascending limb of henles loop plays the most fundamental role in the operation of.
Thus in the descending limb water is reabsorbed by osmosis. Its primary function is reabsorption of nacl and water. The descending limb of the loop is permeable to water but not nutrients, while the ascending limb is permeable to nutrients but not water. Countercurrent multiplication in the kidney video khan.
The thick ascending limb tal of henle s loop is a crucial segment. Marked inter and intranephron heterogeneities are noted in the descending limb of henle in some rodents, including mice 25, rats 24, 26, 32. The loop of henle is involved in reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions from the filtrate. Function of thin loops of henle kidney international. Oct 15, 2009 the important nephrological unit to be understood. The ushaped nephron loop is divided into two portions. Henles loop definition and meaning collins english dictionary. Physiology the ascending pathway, descending pain pathway and the substantia gelatinosa duration. Laboratory of kidney and electrolyte metabolism, national. Henle and the loops made its first public appearance in august 2004 at the firstannual boonestock music festival. Apr 28, 2017 a concise lesson presentation 18 slides that looks at the loop of henle within the kidney and enables students to understand how water is reabsorbed from this structure of the nephron. These carry blood in opposite directions, just like the. The loop of henle establishes medullary hyperosmolarity the ascending limb of the loop of henle transports solutes nacl out of the tubule lumen with little or no water, generating an hyperosmotic medullary interstitium and delivering an hyposmotic tubule fluid to the distal tubule. The importance of the thick ascending limb of henles loop.
Function of the thick ascending limb of henles loop. The loop of henle is supplied by two vasa recta which are straight vessels closely accompanying the tubules hairpinshaped course. The ascending limb of the loop of henle is a direct continuation from the descending limb of loop of henle, and one of the structures in the nephron of the kidney. Henles loop in an attempt to seek the possibility of generating a new idea for the countercurrent multiplication system without active solute transport. A ushaped segment of the nephron in a vertebrate kidney that functions in water resorption. Physiological role of the loop of henle in urinary concentration. The loop of henle encompasses the thin descending limb, the thin ascending limb, and the tal. Diabetes mellitus results from either a deficiency in insulin production type i or an impaired tissue response to insulin. The ascending limb drains urine into the distal convoluted tubule. The loop of henle is a section of nephron tubules of the kidneys located between the proximal and distal convoluted tubules for the function of absorbing water and controlling solute concentration. Feb 27, 2019 the loop of henle is supplied by two vasa recta which are straight vessels closely accompanying the tubules hairpinshaped course. The loop of henle has a hairpin configuration with a thin descending limb and both a thin and thick ascending limb. 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.
Descending limb of loop of henle scheme of renal tubule and its vascular supply. Ta the ushaped part of the nephron extending from the proximal to the distal tubules. Ion transport is different in each of these segments. Thick ascending loop of henle transport pathway medicine. The loop of henle contributes to the absorption of approximately 25% of filtered sodium and can be targeted by diuretic therapy. Each kidney contains hundreds of thousands of individual nephrons, which pass between the cortex of the kidneys and the medulla, connecting to collecting ducts which route urine to the ureter so that it can be expressed.
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