MECHANISMS IN KIDNEY-TUTORIAL HUMAN PHYSIOLOGY
Basic Kidney Anatomy
- Kidneys paired, about 150 gm each
- Urine forming units:
- Cortex
- Medulla (lobed: renal pyramids)
- Cortex and medulla composed chiefly of nephrons and blood vessels
- Supplied by renal arteries (branches of descending aorta) and renal veins (branches of inferior vena cava)
- Urine collecting and expelling units:
- Calyces
- Renal pelvises
- Ureters
- Bladder
- Urethra
Although the Kidneys are Tiny Organs They Receive 25% of the Cardiac Output