Terminology Service for NFDI4Health
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loop of Henle

Go to external page http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0001288

the section of the renal tubule in the kidney medulla with a hairpin bend; consists of a descending limb and an ascending limb, and is situated between the proximal convoluted tubule to the distal convoluted tubule; it functions to reabsorb water and ions from the urine [ http://www.informatics.jax.org/accession/csmith ]

Term info

Label

loop of Henle

Synonyms
  • Henle loop
  • Henle's loop
  • ansa nephroni
database cross reference
Subsets

uberon_slim, pheno_slim

depicted by

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Gray1128.png

dubious for taxon

http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/NCBITaxon_8353

editor note

the definitions of some kidney parts (e.g. proximal straight tubule) refer to Henle's loop, even in species where this may not be present. Requires review.

external definition

A highly specialized segment of the mammalian kidney tubules, that dips into the medulla. [Bemis_WE, Functional_Anatomy_of_the_Vertebrates:_An_Evolutionary_Perspective, Grande_L, Third_Edition_(2001)_Orlando_Fla.:_Harcourt_College_Publishers, Walker_WF, p.648, see_Liem_KF][VHOG]

function notes

The loop of Henle plays an important role in creating a concentration gradient in the medulla of the kidney. It is involved in reabsorption of filtered water and ions including sodium, potassium and calcium, and independently regulates both the volume and osmolarity of body fluids.

id

UBERON:0001288

present in taxon

http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/NCBITaxon_8782

taxon notes

The structure differs considerably between species; there is a definite physical loop of Henle in the mammalian and avian renal systems but this seems to be absent in Xenopus. However, homologs of some, but not all, molecular markers (e.g. cldn8 and clcnk) of the mammalian loop of Henle were found to be present in the pronephros of the frog larva .