A little bit of normal anatomy of the kidney

Nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, composed of the glomerulus and the tubules (PCT, loop on Henle, DCT, collecting tubule). Urine, which is the filtrate of plasma, flows from the collecting tubule into the collecting duct. From there it goes to the minor calyx, major calyx, and out into the pelvis of the kidney. Then it’s on it’s away to the ureter, bladder, and finally out of the urethra.

Kidney has a capsule on the outside, and it is surrounded by fat. Hilus of the kidney contains renal artery, veins, and major calyces (or the collection of those, called renal pelvis)

Kidney is anatomically divided into:

1. Cortex, which contains mostly glomeruli

2. Medulla, which contains mostly loops of Henle, collecting ducts

A little about renal vasculature:

Renal a. enters the hilus of the kidney and splits into anterior and posterior renal a. Those further divide into interlobar a. (go between the pyramids), which divide into arcuate a. (go between the cortex and the medulla), which divide into interlobular a., which divide into afferent arterioles, which enter into glomerulus (capillaries), and leave as efferent arterioles (the portal system) and become peritubular vasa recta (capillaries), which go down the loop of Henle, then become venules, and eventually coalesce to become the renal vein and come out of the hilus.

Category: Anatomy Notes , Physiology Notes