nephron

[ nef-ron ]

nounAnatomy, Zoology.
  1. the filtering and excretory unit of the kidney, consisting of the glomerulus and tubules.

Origin of nephron

1
1930–35; <German; alteration of Greek nephrós kidney

Words Nearby nephron

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How to use nephron in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nephron

nephron

/ (ˈnɛfrɒn) /


noun
  1. any of the minute urine-secreting tubules that form the functional unit of the kidneys

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for nephron

nephron

[ nĕfrŏn ]


  1. The functional unit of the kidney, in which waste products are filtered from the blood and urine is produced. The nephron consists of a system of tubules in close association with a network of blood vessels. As fluid that is filtered through the glomerulus of the nephron enters the tubules, its composition is gradually changed by the absorption and secretion of solutes, and it eventually leaves the nephron as urine. See more at Bowman's capsule glomerulus loop of Henle.

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