In this episode of The APS Publications Podcast, Dr. Serena Kuang (Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine) discusses the recent Illuminations article on how countercurrent multiplication is widely accepted as the mechanism for the generation of the corticopapillary osmotic gradient in the outer medulla of mammalian kidneys, but the current explanations of it in textbooks and the literature are inefficient and incomplete. This leads to confusion for students. This article shares a modified version of countercurrent multiplication with more understandable explanation as a way of motivating peer discussion, further improvement, and future research. To find out more, listen now.

Serena Y. Kuang A better explanation of countercurrent multiplication in the formation of the corticopapillary osmotic gradient in the outer medulla  Advances in Physiology Education, published August 10, 2023. DOI: 10.1152/advan.00227.2022