Describe how a nephron works. How is this similar to counter currents or hydrostatic skeletons?

     The nephron is the basic unit of the kidney. It is a long thin tube that is closed at one end, and has two twisted regions inter spaced with a long hairpin loop, and ends in a long straight portion that is surrounded by capillaries. The parts of a nephron are the bowman's capsule, proximal convoluted tubule or proximal tubule, loop of henle, distal convoluted tubule, and collecting duct. The bowman's capsule is the closed end at the beginning of the nephron. The proximal tubule is the twisted region located right after the Bowman's capsule. The loop of the Henle is a long hairpin loop after the proximal tubule and extends from the cortex down to the medulla and goes back. The distal tubule is the other twisted portion of the nephron after the loop of henle. The collecting duct is a long straight portion after the distal tubule that is open and extends from the cortex to the medulla. Every part of the nephron has different cells with different properties. In the nephron, about 20 percent of the blood gets filtered under pressure through the walla of the glomerular capillaries and Bowman's capsule. The filtrate has water, ions,glucose and small proteins. Inside the nephron is the lumen where small molecules such as ions, glucose and amino acids get absorbed from the filtrate. The transporters grab only one or two small molecules from the filtrate.

     In hydrostatic skeletons, pressure of fluid and the action of the surrounding circular and muscles are used to change an organisms shape and produce movement. This is very similar to kidney filtration. Inside the nephron about 20 percent of blood is filtered under pressure through the walls of the glomerular capillaries and Bowman's capsule. The higher the concentrations of the substance in blood, the greater the amount filtered or the greater the filtration rate, the more substances gets filtered.