Nephron facts for kids
Nephrons are tiny tubules (miniature tubes) which make up the smallest working part of the kidney. In other words, they are the smallest level where the kidney removes waste, excess salt and excess water.
Each nephron starts in the cortex of the kidney, then goes into the medulla of the kidney, before coming back to the cortex, then goes through the medulla into the pelvis. In the pelvis, the nephrons join up with the ureter.
In humans, a normal kidney has between 800,000 and 1.5 million nephrons.
Images for kids
-
Distribution of blood vessels in cortex of kidney. (Although the figure labels the efferent vessel as a vein, it is actually an arteriole.)
See also
In Spanish: Nefrona para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Nephron Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.