Human cell

Macula Densa Cells (Salt Sensors)

Each kidney tube loops back and touches its own filter. Right at that spot, a crowd of cells checks how much salt is flowing past.

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Lesson 1

A crowded little spot

After the U-shaped loop, each kidney tube comes back up and touches the blood vessels of its own filter.

Right where it touches, the tube wall has a patch of tall, skinny cells squeezed close together. This patch is the macula densa.

Wow!

Macula densa means dense spot in Latin. The cells are packed so tightly that their nuclei look crowded under a microscope!

Watch and learn

Operation Ouch - What are Kidneys? | Biology for Kids

By Operation Ouch. A fun video for kids.

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