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Assignment 1 - The Kidneys: Description, Function and Pathology
The kidneys, part of the urinary system, remove toxic by-products of metabolism from the bloodstream and urine from the body. They are reddish brown, bean-shaped organs located high in the abdominal cavity behind the peritoneum (the membrane that lines the abdomen). Concave on one long side and convex on the opposite, the upper end of each kidney is tilted slightly inward toward the backbone [1] Each kidney is about 11 cm long, 4 to 5 cm wide, and 2 to 3 cm thick. Originating from the intermediate mesoderm, the kidney, which is embedded in perineal fat, lies with its convex border situated laterally and its concave hilum, a deep vertical cleft, facing medially. This is the point of entry and exit of the renal arteries and veins, lymphatic vessels, nerves, and the enlarged upper end of the ureters [2]. The renal pelvis, expanded upper end of the ureter, is divided into 2 or 3 major calyces which in turn are further divided into several small branches, the minor calyces. An extension of the hilum deeper into the kidney is called the renal sinus [3]. The sinus itself is largely filled with loose connective tissue and adipose tissue [4].
The kidneys, part of the urinary system, remove toxic by-products of metabolism from the bloodstream and urine from the body. They are reddish brown, bean-shaped organs located high in the abdominal cavity behind the peritoneum (the membrane that lines the abdomen). Concave on one long side and convex on the opposite, the upper end of each kidney is tilted slightly inward toward the backbone [1] Each kidney is about 11 cm long, 4 to 5 cm wide, and 2 to 3 cm thick. Originating from the intermediate mesoderm, the kidney, which is embedded in perineal fat, lies with its convex border situated laterally and its concave hilum, a deep vertical cleft, facing medially. This is the point of entry and exit of the renal arteries and veins, lymphatic vessels, nerves, and the enlarged upper end of the ureters [2]. The renal pelvis, expanded upper end of the ureter, is divided into 2 or 3 major calyces which in turn are further divided into several small branches, the minor calyces. An extension of the hilum deeper into the kidney is called the renal sinus [3]. The sinus itself is largely filled with loose connective tissue and adipose tissue [4]. 