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Anatomy of Ihc Kidf»

RENAL PHYSIOLOGY

A. Antcrior surfacc of right kidney

Superior oxtremity

Hilus

Lateral margin

Inferior extremity •

B. Righ! kidney sectioned in several planes, exposing parenchyma and renal sinus

Pnpilla ol pyramid Renal column tof Bertin) Medullary rays

Medulla (pyramid)

Rbrous capsule incised and pecled od

Renal artery Renal vein Renal pelvis

Hibrous capsulc

Minor calyces

Blood vessels entering renal parenchyma

Renal sinus

Major calyces

Renal pelvis

Pat in renal sinus

Minor calyces

Ureter

Ficure 6.1 Anatomy oe the Kidney

The kidneys are paired retroperitoneal abdominal organs at the level of the T11 to 13 vertebrae. They prtFcess the blood and partidpate in the following generał functions: (I) regulating fluid volume and com-position, (2j excreting metabolit, wastes and removing foreign Chemicals (e.g.. drugs) and their metabolites from the blood, and (3) lunc-tioning as endocrine organs. Intemally, the kidney is divide<l into a cortex and medulla, both of which contain the nephrons łapproxi-mately 1.25 million per kidney). The medulla torms 8 to 15 pyrarn Urine exits the papilla of a pyramid and < ollects in a minor calyv I -minor calyces join to form the major calyces and then the pelvis. i renal columns (ot Bertinl consist of cortical nephron segments, whereas the medullary rays contain nephron segments that exlenc into tłu.* medulla.

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