Anatomy of The Kidney

Anatomy of the Kidney
Kidneys: filter waste materials out of the blood and pass them out of the body as urine.
regulate blood pressure and the levels of water, salts, and minerals in the body.
Location
The kidneys are located on either side of the spine, in the retroperitoneal space. The left
kidney is situated a little higher than the right one, because of the liver on the right side
of the abdominal cavity, above the right kidney.
Structure
Each of the two bean-shaped organs weighs about 125 to 175 grams and 115 to 155
grams in males and females respectively. The kidney typically measures approximately
11 to 14 centimeters in length, 6 centimeters in width and is about 4 centimeters thick.
The kidneys are protected by fat, muscles, and ribs of the back. Perirenal fat, also
called the renal fat pad, protects the kidneys from external force or damage. The
kidneys have a medial dimple called the renal hilum, which is the entry and exit point for
structures that supply or drain the kidneys such as the nerves, ureters, vessels, and
lymphatics.
The kidneys are supplied with blood by the renal arteries, direct major branches of the
abdominal aorta. These enter and divide into multiple levels to form a highly specialized
and uniform network of afferent arterioles that then form the specialized capillary beds
called the glomeruli. Each glomerulus forms one component of a nephron. The
capillaries then merge again to form the efferent arterioles. In the outer cortex, these
efferent arterioles twine around the tubules to form a peritubular network. In the inner
third of the cortex and medulla, the peritubular network is replaced by long straight
branches called the vasa recta.
The filtered blood travels through the left and right renal veins which empty into the
inferior vena cava to reach the heart. (explanation)
Parts of the Kidney

Nephrons
 The nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys, and number about 1.3
million per kidney.
 A nephron has two main parts – tubules and corpuscles. The cup-shaped
corpuscles contain the glomeruli. The tubules are small tubes traveling through
the inner part of the kidney that regulate the passage of various chemicals to and
from the blood.
 They have three parts, two highly coiled parts separated by a U-shaped curve
(like a hairpin), called the proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle and the
distal convoluted tubule.
Other Parts of the Kidney
The cortex is the outer renal tissue located under the renal capsule. It appears lighter in
color compared to the other parts of the kidney. The renal corpuscles, as well as the
proximal and distal convoluted tubules are found here. It reaches into the inner renal
tissue or medulla, splitting it into triangular parts called renal pyramids.
The renal pyramids contain the loops of Henle of each renal tubule, as well as the
collecting ducts. Each of the renal pyramids opens at the apex, or renal papilla. Here
the urine formed inside the pyramids is collected through a structure called the minor
calyx. Several of the minor calices join to form a major calyx. Urine moves through the
major calices to reach the renal pelvis. The pelvis is a funnel-shaped collecting structure
formed by the junction of all the major calices. It carries urine from the whole kidney to
the ureter, which begins where the pelvis ends, at the pelvi-ureteral junction.
The Gerota’s fascia is a thin fibrous tissue located outside the kidney and also enclosing
the adrenal glands sitting atop the kidneys. It anchors the organ to the posterior
abdominal wall. The renal capsule is a layer of tough fibrous tissue surrounding the
kidney, found just inside the renal fat pad.
The Heart Valves
Four valves regulate blood flow through your heart:
1. The tricuspid valve regulates blood flow between the right atrium and right
ventricle.
2. The pulmonary valve controls blood flow from the right ventricle into the
pulmonary arteries, which carry blood to your lungs to pick up oxygen.
3. The mitral valve lets oxygen-rich blood from your lungs pass from the left atrium
into the left ventricle.
4. The aortic valve opens the way for oxygen-rich blood to pass from the left ventricle
into the aorta, your body’s largest artery.
The Conduction System
Electrical impulses from your heart muscle (the myocardium) cause your heart to
contract. This electrical signal begins in the sinoatrial (SA) node, located at the top of
the right atrium. The SA node is sometimes called the heart’s “natural pacemaker.” An
electrical impulse from this natural pacemaker travels through the muscle fibers of the
atria and ventricles, causing them to contract. Although the SA node sends electrical
impulses at a certain rate, your heart rate may still change depending on physical
demands, stress, or hormonal factors.
The Circulatory System
The heart and circulatory system make up your cardiovascular system. Your heart
works as a pump that pushes blood to the organs, tissues, and cells of your body. Blood
delivers oxygen and nutrients to every cell and removes the carbon dioxide and waste
products made by those cells. Blood is carried from your heart to the rest of your body
through a complex network of arteries, arterioles, and capillaries.

Anatomy of The Kidney

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Anatomy of The Kidney

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Anatomy of the Kidney

Parts of the Kidney

Other Parts of the Kidney

The Heart Valves

Four valves regulate blood flow through your heart:

The Conduction System

The Circulatory System

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