MH 143 Kidney

Kidney
(Overall Structure)

Kidneys filter blood and produce urine. Unlike the human kidney which is multilobed (10 to 12 lobes) separated by renal columns (cortical tissue that extends alongside the margin of pyramids in the medulla), the monkey kidney is unilobular.

• Cortex - darker outer region.
  • Renal Corpuscles (#1,#2,#3) - spherical structures that form ultrafiltrate from blood.
  • Cortical Labyrinths - regions between renal corpuscles and medullary rays that contain proximal and distal convoluted tubules.
  • Medullary Rays - projections of tubules between the cortex and medulla that contains straight tubules and collecting ducts.
• Medulla - lighter inner region.
  • Pyramids - equal to the number of lobes and form conical structures whose base faces the cortex and their apex form the renal papilla. Urine passes through the minor calyx which is cup-shaped structure that is an extension of the renal pelvis.
  • Renal Pelvis - funnel-shaped origin of the ureter.
• Arcuate Arteries (#1,#2,#3,#4,#5) - branches of interlobular arteries that form an arcade over the pyramids at the junction of the cortex and medulla.
• Hilum - concave surface with a deep fissure in which vessels enter and exit the kidney.