A client with suspected renal insufficiency is scheduled for a comprehensive diagnostic workup. Which component of the kidney is responsible for the actual work of filtration?

A client with suspected renal insufficiency is scheduled for a comprehensive diagnostic workup. Which component of the kidney is responsible for the actual work of filtration?

• A. Glomerulus
• B. Nephron
• C. Renal capsule
• D. Renal medulla

Answer: (B)

The kidney’s filtering work is done by the nephron, the functional unit responsible for urine formation. Each nephron contains a glomerulus, a tuft of capillaries where blood plasma is filtered into Bowman's capsule, initiating the formation of filtrate. The rest of the nephron—including the tubules—handles reabsorption and secretion to shape the final urine. So while the glomerulus is the specific site where filtration begins, the nephron as the unit carries out the filtration process that drives urine formation.

The kidney’s filtering work is done by the nephron, the functional unit responsible for urine formation. Each nephron contains a glomerulus, a tuft of capillaries where blood plasma is filtered into Bowman's capsule, initiating the formation of filtrate. The rest of the nephron—including the tubules—handles reabsorption and secretion to shape the final urine. So while the glomerulus is the specific site where filtration begins, the nephron as the unit carries out the filtration process that drives urine formation.