The collecting tubules join and form larger, straight collecting ducts. The collecting ducts form larger tubes, which drain the urine into minor calyces, which empty into the kidney pelvis via the major calyces. From the kidney pelvis the urine is funneled into the ureter, which leads to the urinary bladder. F. Blood supply 1. A renal artery branches off the abdominal aorta to supply each kidney.
Afferent arterioles arise from the interlobular arteries.
An afferent arteriole gives rise to about 50 capillaries, which form the glomerulus. An efferent arteriole leaves each glomerulus and gives rise to another capillary network, the peritubular capillaries , which surrounds the proximal and distal tubules to nourish them and carry away reabsorbed materials. Efferent arterioles from the glomeruli of cortical nephrons enter a peritubular capillary network that surrounds the proximal and distal convoluted tubules of that nephron. The efferent arterioles from the glomeruli of juxtaglomerular nephrons have extensions of long, straight capillary vessels called the vasa recta , which descend into the medullary pyramids. The loops of the vasa recta form hairpin turns that run alongside the loops of Henle.