BETA
Chapter 1
The kidneys as filtration masterminds
Chapter 2
Storage and transit in the bladder
Chapter 3
The differences in exit pathways
Chapter 4
The brain and bladder conversation
YOUR GOAL
Master of The human urinary system
Ch 1 · The kidneys as filtration masterminds
renaissanceman Sort waste from healthy nutrients to learn how the urinary system filters your blood.
renaissanceman Each kidney contains about one million microscopic units called nephrons that perform the actual work of filtration.
Fun Fact
Kidney blood flow: The kidneys process about 1,200 milliliters of blood every single minute, which is roughly 20 to 25 percent of the heart's total output.
Glossary
nephron (noun)
The functional unit of the kidney that filters waste from the blood and forms urine. In 1842, William Bowman detailed how these microscopic structures filter blood to produce urine.
The functional unit of the kidney that filters waste from the blood and forms urine. In 1842, William Bowman detailed how these microscopic structures filter blood to produce urine.
Quiz
What is the name of the functional microscopic filtering unit inside the human kidney?
Quiz
In 1842, which British physician discovered the microscopic cup-like sac that filters blood in the kidney?
Quiz
What percentage of the water filtered by the kidneys is actually reabsorbed back into the bloodstream?
Quiz
What waste product, formed from the breakdown of proteins in the liver, do kidneys filter out?
Quiz
Which tiny cluster of blood vessels inside the nephron acts as the initial sieve or filter?
Quiz
Which hormone do the kidneys release to help regulate systemic blood pressure?