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1) The renal artery transports oxygenated blood to the Bowman’s capsule under high pressure
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2) In the glomerulus (ball of capillaries within the capsule) the pressure increases even further as the capillaries leaving (efferent arteriole = exiting to renal vein) is narrower than the capillary entering(afferent arteriole)
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3) This pressure leads to ultrafiltration - water, salts, glucose and urea pass out of the capillary and into the Bowman’s capsule and into the tubules.
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4) Proteins and blood cells are too big to leave the capillaries and so stay within the blood
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5) All glucose is reabsorbed at the proximal convoluted tubule by active transport, whilst the rest of the filtrate continues through the tubules. There are many mitochondria here to provide the energy for active transport.
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6) Salts are reabsorbed by the loop of Henle
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7) Water is reabsorbed into the blood at the collecting ducts, depending on the water levels in the body (and therefore ADH produced)
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8) The remaining filtrate (water, salts and urea) in the collecting duct will form urine
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9) This is transported through the ureters to be stored in the bladder and then through the urethra to leave the body
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