Chapter 34, Problem 15STP

Summary Introduction

To explain:

That the nephrons filter blood.

Introduction:

The body collects wastes, like toxins, waste products, and carbon dioxide that result from metabolism in the body. The excretory system removes these toxins and wastes from the body, regulates the amount of fluid and salts, and maintains the pH of the blood. All of these functions help to maintain homeostasis. The excretory system comprises of the lungs, skin, and kidneys.

Explanation of Solution

Each kidney comprises approximately one million nephritic filtering units. Blood joins any nephron through a long tube surrounded by a capillary ball named the glomerulus. The glomerulus is covered by the structure known as the Bowman's capsule. The renal artery transfers nutrients and waste to the kidneys and branches into smaller and smaller blood vessels, ultimately reaching the narrow capillaries in the glomerulus. The walls of the capillaries are very thin and the blood is under high pressure. As a result, the water and the substances dissolved in the water are forced through the capillary walls into the Bowman's capsules. Larger molecules remain in the bloodstream.

Conclusion

Thus, the nephrons found in the renal can filter the blood.