Blood Vessels Associated with the Nephron

• What is the afferent arteriole?

  A tiny vessel that arises from the renal artery and supplies the nephron with blood.
• What does the afferent arteriole enter to form?

  The renal capsule of the nephron to form the glomerulus.
• What is the glomerulus?

  A many branched knot of capillaries from which fluid is forced out of the blood.
• What do the glomerulus capillaries recombine to form?

  The efferent arteriole.
• What is the efferent arteriole?

  A tiny vessel that leaves the renal capsule and carries blood away from it.
• Why is an increased blood pressure produced in the glomerulus from the efferent arteriole?

  Because the efferent arteriole has a smaller diameter than the afferent arteriole.
• What does the efferent arteriole later branch to form?

  The blood capillaries.
• What are the blood capillaries in the nephron?

  A concentrated network of capillaries that surround the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle and the distal convoluted tubule.
• What do the blood capillaries later merge into?

  Tiny veins called venues that in tun merge to form the renal vein.