WANI Dictionary

Collecting duct

A collecting duct is a duct that receives urine from nephrons in the kidney of vertebrates.

The difference between “collecting duct” and “collecing tubule” is not clear [1]. A relatively thick tubule is frequently called the collecting duct, whereas a relatively thin tubule tends to be called the collecting tubule.

Definitions in the literature

• The distinction between the two terms collecting tubule and collecting duct is not clear in the literature, not only for fish but also for higher vertebrates. What is apparently the same portion of the tubule is called collecting tubule by some authors and collecting duct by others. A relatively thin tubule may be better called the collecting tubule, and a relatively thick tubule, the collecting duct. At least the collecting duct does not belong to the nephron; it is a duct that receives urine from several nephrons. In our preparations, however, it was not easy to distinguish strictly these two portions. Here we use the term "collecting tubules" exclusively, but they of course include structures that may be better defined as collecting ducts [1].