Which components form a nephron?

Which components form a nephron?

• A. Renal arteries and veins
• B. Renal cortex and Renal medulla
• C. Renal papillae and minor calyx
• D. Renal capsule and ureter

Answer: (D)

A nephron is the kidney’s functional unit, built from the renal corpuscle (glomerulus with Bowman's capsule) and the tubular system (proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and collecting duct). The blood vessels—the renal arteries and veins—provide the blood supply but aren’t structural parts of a single nephron. The renal cortex and renal medulla are regions that contain many nephrons, not the nephron’s own components. The renal papillae and minor calyces are part of the urine drainage pathway after filtrate has been processed, not elements of the nephron itself. The renal capsule and ureter are coverings and drainage channels for urine, not parts of a nephron. So, none of these options lists the actual components that make up a nephron.

A nephron is the kidney’s functional unit, built from the renal corpuscle (glomerulus with Bowman's capsule) and the tubular system (proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and collecting duct). The blood vessels—the renal arteries and veins—provide the blood supply but aren’t structural parts of a single nephron. The renal cortex and renal medulla are regions that contain many nephrons, not the nephron’s own components. The renal papillae and minor calyces are part of the urine drainage pathway after filtrate has been processed, not elements of the nephron itself. The renal capsule and ureter are coverings and drainage channels for urine, not parts of a nephron. So, none of these options lists the actual components that make up a nephron.