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Each kidney has 1.1 million nephrons. Both kidneys together form 125 mL of filtrate a minute…

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Each kidney has $1.1$ million nephrons. Both kidneys together form $125$ mL of filtrate a minute. One mL is $1{,}000{,}000$ nL.

How much filtrate does one nephron form in a minute, in nanolitres?

How much does it form in a day, in microlitres? One $\mu$ L is $1000$ nL.

Need a reminder? The key ideaShow

A nephron is a glomerulus and a renal tubule. The tubule runs from the Bowman's capsule through the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle (descending then ascending limb) and the distal convoluted tubule to the collecting duct. The corpuscle, the PCT and the DCT lie in the cortex, the loop in the medulla. The efferent arteriole forms the peritubular capillaries and the vasa recta. Cortical nephrons have short loops. Juxtamedullary nephrons have long loops.

The worked solution

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Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.

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