90 Fluids and Temperatures Glossary

Nephrons: The minute or microscopic structural and functional unit of the kidney.

Peristalsis: The involuntary constriction and relaxation of the muscles of the intestine or another canal, creating wave-like movements that push the contents of the canal forward.

Micturition: The action of urinating.

Retroperitoneal: Situated or occurring behind the peritoneum.

Parenchyma: The functional tissue of an organ as distinguished from the connective and supporting tissue.

Podocytes: Specialized epithelial cells that cover the outer surfaces of glomerular capillaries.

Peritoneal Folds: Omenta, mesenteries and ligaments; they connect organs to each other or to the abdominal wall.

Trigone: A triangular region or tissue, particularly the area at the base of the urinary bladder, between the openings of the ureters and urethra.

Fenestration: Any small opening or pore.

Afferent: Conducting or conducted inward or toward something (for nerves, the central nervous system; for blood vessels, the organ supplied).

Efferent: Conducted or conducting outward or away from something (for nerves, the central nervous system; for blood vessels, the organ supplied).

Osmotic Gradient: The difference in concentration between two solutions on either side of a semipermeable membrane.