Kidney
Kidney, paired organ whose functions include removing waste products from the blood and regulating the amount of fluid in the body. The basic units of the kidneys are microscopically thin structures called nephrons, which filter the blood and cause wastes to be removed in the form of urine. Together with the bladder, two ureters, and the single urethra, the kidneys make up the body’s urinary system. Human beings, as well as members of all other vertebrate species, typically have two kidneys.
Like kidney beans, the body’s kidneys are dark red in color and have a shape in which one side is convex, or rounded, and the other is concave, or indented. The kidneys of adult humans are about 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) long and about 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) wide—about the size of a computer mouse.
The kidneys lie against the rear wall of the abdomen, on either side of the spine. They are situated below the middle of the back, beneath the liver on the right and the spleen on the left. Each kidney is encased in a transparent, fibrous membrane called a renal capsule, which helps protect it against trauma and infection. The concave part of the kidney attaches to two of the body’s crucial blood vessels—the renal artery and the renal vein—and the ureter, a tubelike structure that carries urine to the bladder.
A primary function of kidneys is the removal of poisonous wastes from the blood. Chief among these wastes are the nitrogen-containing compounds urea and uric acid, which result from the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids. Life-threatening illnesses occur when too many of these waste products accumulate in the bloodstream. Fortunately, a healthy kidney can easily rid the body of these substances.
STRUCTURE OF THE KIDNEY
The outermost layer of the kidney is called the cortex. Beneath the cortex lies the medulla, an area that contains between 8 and 18 cone-shaped sections known as pyramids, which are formed almost entirely of bundles of microscopic tubules. The tips of these pyramids point toward the center of the kidney. The cortex extends into the spaces between the pyramids, forming structures called renal columns. At the center of the kidney is a cavity called the renal pelvis.
The task of cleaning, or filtering, the blood is performed by millions of nephrons, remarkable structures that extend between the cortex and the medulla. Under magnification, nephrons look like tangles of tiny vessels or tubules, but each nephron actually has an orderly arrangement that makes possible filtration of wastes from the blood. The primary structure in this filtering system is the glomerulus, a network of extremely thin blood vessels called capillaries. The glomerulus is contained in a cuplike structure called Bowman’s capsule, from which extends a narrow vessel, called the renal tubule. This tube twists and turns until it drains into a collecting tubule that carries urine toward the renal pelvis. Part of the renal tubule, called Henle’s loop, becomes extremely narrow, extending down away from Bowman’s capsule and then back up again in a U shape. Surrounding Henle’s loop and the other parts of the renal tubule is a network of capillaries, which are formed from a small blood vessel that branches out from the glomerulus.
Like kidney beans, the body’s kidneys are dark red in color and have a shape in which one side is convex, or rounded, and the other is concave, or indented. The kidneys of adult humans are about 10 to 13 cm (4 to 5 in) long and about 5 to 7.5 cm (2 to 3 in) wide—about the size of a computer mouse.
The kidneys lie against the rear wall of the abdomen, on either side of the spine. They are situated below the middle of the back, beneath the liver on the right and the spleen on the left. Each kidney is encased in a transparent, fibrous membrane called a renal capsule, which helps protect it against trauma and infection. The concave part of the kidney attaches to two of the body’s crucial blood vessels—the renal artery and the renal vein—and the ureter, a tubelike structure that carries urine to the bladder.
A primary function of kidneys is the removal of poisonous wastes from the blood. Chief among these wastes are the nitrogen-containing compounds urea and uric acid, which result from the breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids. Life-threatening illnesses occur when too many of these waste products accumulate in the bloodstream. Fortunately, a healthy kidney can easily rid the body of these substances.
STRUCTURE OF THE KIDNEY
The outermost layer of the kidney is called the cortex. Beneath the cortex lies the medulla, an area that contains between 8 and 18 cone-shaped sections known as pyramids, which are formed almost entirely of bundles of microscopic tubules. The tips of these pyramids point toward the center of the kidney. The cortex extends into the spaces between the pyramids, forming structures called renal columns. At the center of the kidney is a cavity called the renal pelvis.
The task of cleaning, or filtering, the blood is performed by millions of nephrons, remarkable structures that extend between the cortex and the medulla. Under magnification, nephrons look like tangles of tiny vessels or tubules, but each nephron actually has an orderly arrangement that makes possible filtration of wastes from the blood. The primary structure in this filtering system is the glomerulus, a network of extremely thin blood vessels called capillaries. The glomerulus is contained in a cuplike structure called Bowman’s capsule, from which extends a narrow vessel, called the renal tubule. This tube twists and turns until it drains into a collecting tubule that carries urine toward the renal pelvis. Part of the renal tubule, called Henle’s loop, becomes extremely narrow, extending down away from Bowman’s capsule and then back up again in a U shape. Surrounding Henle’s loop and the other parts of the renal tubule is a network of capillaries, which are formed from a small blood vessel that branches out from the glomerulus.
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