Vasa recta
Vasa Recta
Vasa recta (/ˈveɪsə ˈrɛktə/), from the Latin vasa meaning "vessels" and recta meaning "straight", are the straight arterioles, and venules of the kidney. They are part of the urinary system and play a crucial role in the countercurrent exchange mechanism.
Etymology
The term vasa recta is derived from Latin, where vasa translates to "vessels" and recta translates to "straight". This name is descriptive of the structure's appearance and function in the kidney.
Function
The vasa recta are part of the kidney's urinary system. They are responsible for maintaining the osmotic gradient in the renal medulla, which is essential for the concentration of urine. They do this by utilizing a mechanism known as the countercurrent exchange system.
Anatomy
The vasa recta originate from the efferent arterioles serving the juxtamedullary nephrons, located in the renal cortex. They descend into the renal medulla and then ascend back to the cortex. This forms a loop which is parallel to the Loop of Henle.
Related Terms
- Efferent arterioles
- Juxtamedullary nephrons
- Renal cortex
- Renal medulla
- Loop of Henle
- Countercurrent exchange
- Osmotic gradient
- Urinary system
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Vasa recta
- Wikipedia's article - Vasa recta
This WikiMD dictionary article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.
Languages: - East Asian
中文,
日本,
한국어,
South Asian
हिन्दी,
Urdu,
বাংলা,
తెలుగు,
தமிழ்,
ಕನ್ನಡ,
Southeast Asian
Indonesian,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
မြန်မာဘာသာ,
European
español,
Deutsch,
français,
русский,
português do Brasil,
Italian,
polski