What are the Functioning of Alveoli in the Lungs and Nephrons in the Kidneys with Respect to Their Structure and Functioning?

Answer: There are around 480 million alevoli per lung, or each kidney has 1.1 million nephrons. Our human body relies on these structures to maintain its essential functions. The alveoli in the lungs and the nephrons in the kidneys play a significant role in respiration and excretion, respectively. The alveoli ensure proper exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide, and that the blood contains enough oxygen. On the other hand, the nephrons would filter the blood and remove the waste. This maintains the fluid balance. 

Structure of Alveoli in the Lungs

What is the structure of alveoli? Alveoli are tiny balloon-like sacs situated at the ends of the bronchioles in the lungs. Each lung has millions of alveoli that allow a vast surface area for gas exchange. The walls of alveoli are very thin (around 0.2- 2 micrometres to be precise!) and are surrounded by a network of capillaries. This thin barrier facilitates the proper diffusion of gases between the air in the alveoli and the blood in the capillaries.

Functioning of Alveoli in the Lungs

Alveoli are mainly known to perform 1 function- gas exchange.  The oxygen that you breathe in is diffused through the alveolar walls into the blood. On the other hand, the carbon dioxide from the blood diffuses into the alveoli to be exhaled. This process is important to maintain the oxygen supply and to remove the CO2, a waste product of metabolism.

Structure of Nephrons in the Kidneys

The functional units of the kidneys are called nephrons. Each kidney contains around 1 to 1.5 million nephrons. A nephron mainly has 2 parts. That is- the renal tubule, and the renal corpuscle.

•  The renal corpuscle consists of the glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, and a network of capillaries. 
• The renal tubule consists of the loop of Henle, the proximal convoluted tubule, the distal convoluted tubule, and a collecting duct.

Function of Nephrons in the Kidneys

The primary function of nephrons in the kidney is to filter blood to form the urine. This takes several steps-

• Filter- The blood pressure would force the water and solutes (coming from the glomerulus) into the Bowman’s capsule.
• Reabsorb– Thereafter, the important substances like the amino acids, glucose, and iron are reabsorbed into the bloodstream from the renal tubule.
• Secretion– Other waste products from the blood are secreted into the tubule
• Excretion- The final urine, which consists of waste and excess products, is excreted from the body.

The process allows the nephrons to regulate the electrolyte levels, fluid balance, and water removal.

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