This simulator demonstrates how a single nephron senses sodium chloride delivery at its macula densa and adjusts afferent arteriole tone through adenosine signaling to keep its own glomerular filtration rate stable.
Adjust blood pressure, tubular flow, or sodium reabsorption sliders and watch the macula densa signal, adenosine release, and afferent arteriole diameter respond in real time to bring filtration rate back toward its target.
Sliders let you vary blood pressure, tubular sodium chloride delivery, and reabsorption to observe how the macula densa and afferent arteriole adjust glomerular filtration rate in response.
Each of the roughly one million nephrons in a kidney runs this feedback loop independently, meaning the kidney is really a parallel network of tiny autonomous regulators rather than one centrally controlled organ.
This simulator demonstrates how a single nephron senses sodium chloride delivery at its macula densa and adjusts afferent arteriole tone through adenosine signaling to keep its own glomerular filtration rate stable.
This simulator demonstrates how a single nephron senses sodium chloride delivery at its macula densa and adjusts afferent arteriole tone through adenosine signaling to keep its own glomerular filtration rate stable.
Adjust blood pressure, tubular flow, or sodium reabsorption sliders and watch the macula densa signal, adenosine release, and afferent arteriole diameter respond in real time to bring filtration rate back toward its target.
Each of the roughly one million nephrons in a kidney runs this feedback loop independently, meaning the kidney is really a parallel network of tiny autonomous regulators rather than one centrally controlled organ.