Difference Between Cortical and Juxtamedullary Nephrons

Nephrons are the kidney’s primary structural and functional units. The number of nephrons in a human kidney varies between 8 lakh and 1 crore. On the basis of the placement of the Malpighian corpuscles and the length of the Henle loop, nephrons can be classified as Cortical or Juxtamedullary.

Cortical Vs. Juxtamedullary Nephrons

The Malpighian corpuscles of Cortical and Juxtamedullary nephrons are found in the outer cortex of Cortical nephrons, whilst the Malpighian corpuscles of Juxtamedullary nephrons are placed beneath the base of pyramids.

In addition, the loop of Henle in cortical nephrons is short, but the loop of Henle in juxtamedullary nephrons is long. Cortical nephrons make up roughly 85 percent of the human kidney, while Juxtamedullary nephrons make up about 15%.

The main role of cortical nephrons is to carry out the body’s major regulatory and excretory duties, whereas the main function of Juxtamedullary nephrons is to concentrate or dilute urine.

What exactly are Cortical Nephrons?

Cortical nephrons are microscopic structural and functional components of the kidney with a small Henle loop that only penetrates the medulla’s outer layer. Their Malpighian corpuscles are found at the renal cortex’s periphery.

All vertebrates have cortical nephrons. They are responsible for the majority of the human body’s regulating and excretory processes.

The glomerulus, a tiny network of capillaries, is found at the start of each cortical nephron in the outer renal cortex. The glomerulus filters blood that enters the renal artery circulation through the afferent arteriole.

Water, ions, amino acids, glucose, and other tiny molecules are filtered during the filtration process. The glomerulus keeps red blood cells, white blood cells, big proteins, and platelets.

The urine from the others passes to the renal calyx. The Vasa recta, a vascular network located around Henle’s loop, reabsorbs the majority of water, ions, amino acids, and glucose.

What are Juxtamedullary Nephrons?

Juxtamedullary nephrons are microscopic morphological and functional kidney units with a lengthy Henle loop extending deep into the renal medulla. Their Malpighian corpuscles are close to the medulla of the kidney.

Only birds and mammals have juxtamedullary nephrons. They account for 15% of the nephrons in the human kidney. Each Juxtamedullary Nephron has a big glomerulus at the start.

The glomerulus size is directly linked to the filtration rate of these nephrons. The larger the glomerulus, the higher the filtration rate. In these nephrons, a massive Vasa recta network surrounds the lengthy Henle loop.

The creation of a hyperosmolar gradient causes concentrated urine to be produced. The Juxtamedullary nephrons’ primary job is to concentrate or dilute urine in the body.

The amount of water absorbed by the Vasa recta determines the concentration of urine. The urine will be more concentrated if more water is ingested. The urine will be more diluted if less water is ingested.

Difference Between Cortical and Juxtamedullary Nephrons

• Juxtamedullary nephrons are microscopic structural and functional units of the kidney with a long Henle loop, whereas cortical nephrons are microscopic structural and functional units of the kidney with a short Henle loop.
• Juxtamedullary nephrons have a long loop of Henle that extends deep into the renal medulla, whereas cortical nephrons have a short loop of Henle that only pierce the outer renal medulla.
• The Malpighian corpuscles of cortical nephrons are found in the outer regions of the renal cortex, whereas those of juxtamedullary nephrons are found close to the renal medulla.
• In the human kidney, cortical nephrons account for roughly 85% of all nephrons, while juxtamedullary nephrons account for about 15% of all nephrons.
• Juxtamedullary nephrons concentrate or dilute urine in the human body, while cortical nephrons perform the majority of the regulatory and excretory tasks.
• The glomerulus and Vasa recta of the Cortical nephron are small, but the glomerulus and Vasa recta of the Juxtamedullary nephron are huge.

Conclusion

Juxtamedullary nephrons are microscopic structural and functional units of the kidney with a long Henle loop, whereas cortical nephrons are microscopic structural and functional units of the kidney with a short Henle loop.

Cortical nephrons make up roughly 85 percent of the human kidney, while Juxtamedullary nephrons make up about 15%. Cortical nephrons’ primary purpose is to carry out key regulatory and excretory functions, whereas Juxtamedullary nephrons’ primary function is to concentrate or dilute urine.

The Malpighian corpuscles of cortical nephrons are found in the outer regions of the renal cortex, whereas those of juxtamedullary nephrons are found close to the renal medulla.