Malpighian body is constituted by?

KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Applied Anatomy

Easy

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Explanation

The Malpighian body is an alternative name for the renal corpuscle, which serves as the initial blood-filtering component of a nephron.
It is structurally composed of two parts: the glomerulus, a tuft of capillaries, and the Bowman's capsule, a cup-like sac that surrounds the glomerulus.
The function of the Malpighian body is to perform ultrafiltration, where blood pressure forces water and small solutes from the blood in the glomerulus into the space of the Bowman's capsule.
The afferent and efferent arterioles, which transport blood to and from the glomerulus, are considered part of the renal vasculature but not the Malpighian body itself.

Option A: This option is incomplete. The glomerulus is only the capillary network; the Malpighian body also includes the surrounding Bowman's capsule which collects the filtrate.
Option B: The efferent arteriole is a blood vessel that carries filtered blood away from the glomerulus. It is not a structural component of the Malpighian body.
Option C: The afferent arteriole is a blood vessel that delivers blood to the glomerulus. It is external to the Malpighian body.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Anatomy of the nephron, specifically the composition of the Malpighian body (renal corpuscle) as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
A nurse's understanding of the Malpighian body is fundamental to interpreting tests of kidney function, such as the Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR), which measures how well the kidneys are filtering blood.
Many kidney diseases, like glomerulonephritis, directly target the glomerulus, causing inflammation and damage. Nurses monitor for signs of this damage, such as proteinuria (protein in urine) and hematuria (blood in urine).
What if? If a patient becomes severely hypotensive (low blood pressure), renal perfusion decreases. This reduces the pressure within the glomerulus, leading to a drop in GFR and potentially causing acute kidney injury (AKI). Nurses must monitor urine output closely in hypotensive patients as it is a key indicator of kidney perfusion.

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the key term in the question: 'Malpighian body'.
Recall that 'Malpighian body' is a synonym for 'renal corpuscle', the main filtering unit of the nephron.
Visualize or recall the basic structure of this unit. It consists of a filter (the capillary bed) and a collector (the surrounding capsule).
Evaluate the options based on this two-part structure.
Option A is incomplete (just the filter). Options B and C incorrectly include blood vessels that are adjacent to, but not part of, the corpuscle.
Option D correctly identifies both components: the glomerulus (filter) and Bowman's capsule (collector). This makes it the most complete and accurate answer.

Concept Tested & Keywords

Concept Tested: Anatomy of the nephron, specifically the composition of the Malpighian body (renal corpuscle).
Stem keywords: Malpighian body, constituted by
Lead-in keywords: BEST, MOST RELEVANT CLUE
Negative lead-in flag: false

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