Which artery provides the blood to the distal segments of the large intestine and rectum?

A. Glomerulus: The glomerulus is a high-pressure capillary bed in the nephron where filtration of blood occurs.

B. Bowman's capsule: This is the cup-shaped structure surrounding the glomerulus, not a capillary bed.

C. Vasa recta: These are capillaries surrounding the loop of Henle, involved in the reabsorption process, not filtration.

D. Macula densa: This is a group of specialized cells in the distal convoluted tubule that sense sodium concentration and affect glomerular filtration rate, but it is not a capillary bed.

A. Aldosterone hormone: Aldosterone affects sodium and potassium reabsorption, increasing water retention indirectly, but it does not directly increase water permeability in the collecting ducts.

B. Atrial natriuretic peptide hormone: This hormone decreases blood volume by inhibiting sodium reabsorption, leading to more water excretion, not reabsorption.

C. Antidiuretic hormone (ADH): ADH increases the permeability of the collecting ducts to water, allowing more water to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream.

D. Parathyroid hormone: This hormone primarily regulates calcium levels, not water permeability.