VASA RECTA Meaning and
Definition
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Vasa recta refers to a group of blood vessels found in the renal medulla, specifically in the region called the renal pyramids. These blood vessels are responsible for maintaining the osmotic balance and regulating the concentration of solutes within the kidneys.
The vasa recta are classified as peritubular capillaries, as they surround the tubules of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidneys. They arise from the efferent arterioles, which branch off from the renal arteries and supply blood to the glomeruli for filtration. After the filtration process, the blood enters the vasa recta to continue its journey through the renal medulla.
One of the essential functions of the vasa recta is the preservation of the osmotic gradient in the kidney. As the vasa recta descend into the medulla, they run parallel to the loop of Henle, which functions to concentrate urine. The blood vessels allow the reabsorption of water and certain solutes from the surrounding interstitial fluid, maintaining the concentration gradient necessary for urine concentration.
Additionally, the vasa recta serve an important role in removing waste products and delivering essential nutrients to the surrounding tissues. Since the renal medulla is a metabolically active region, these blood vessels play a crucial role in nourishing the cells and carrying away any waste products that may have accumulated.
Overall, vasa recta are vital components of the kidney's intricate microcirculation system, serving to maintain proper osmotic balance, regulate urine concentration, and support the metabolic needs of the renal medulla.
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(1) Straight, slightly diverging arterioles, running between the straight uriniferous tubules of the malpighian pyramids of the kidney; these are the true v. recta; the so-called false v. recta are efferent vessels of the glomeruli lying nearest the bases of the malpighian pyramids, passing into the pyramids along with the true v. recta; (2) tubuli, seminiferi recti.
A practical medical dictionary. By Stedman, Thomas Lathrop. Published 1920.
Common Misspellings for VASA RECTA
- casa recta
- basa recta
- gasa recta
- fasa recta
- vzsa recta
- vssa recta
- vwsa recta
- vqsa recta
- vaaa recta
- vaza recta
- vaxa recta
- vada recta
- vaea recta
- vawa recta
- vasz recta
- vass recta
- vasw recta
- vasq recta
- vasa eecta
- vasa decta
Etymology of VASA RECTA
The term "vasa recta" has a Latin etymology. "Vasa" is the plural form of "vas", which means "vessel" or "duct" in Latin. The word "recta" comes from the Latin "rectus", which means "straight" or "direct". Therefore, "vasa recta" can be translated as "straight vessels" or "direct vessels". This term is commonly used in anatomy to refer to the straight blood vessels found in the renal medulla.
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