Final answer:
The kidneys filter blood and form urine, with nephrons as their structural and functional units. Nephrons filter and process blood to remove waste and reabsorb needed substances. A nephron consists of a renal corpuscle, renal tubule, and associated capillary network.
Step-by-step explanation:
Kidneys and Nephrons The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs just above the waist. The function of the kidney is to filter blood and form urine. Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the kidneys. A single kidney may have more than a million nephrons! Nephron Structure and Function The nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney.
As blood flows through a nephron, materials are filtered out, needed materials are returned to the blood, and remaining materials form urine. Each kidney typically contains at least a million nephrons. Components of a Nephron A nephron consists of three parts: a renal corpuscle, a renal tubule, and the associated capillary network. Blood is filtered in the renal corpuscle, and then the filtrate travels through the renal tubule, where substances needed by the body are reabsorbed, and waste products are further concentrated to form urine.