5.2.7 The Kidney Under a Microscope

Question 1

What is the importance of dissections?

Answer 1

Dissections are a vital part of scientific research
They allow for the external and internal structures of organs to be examined so that theories can be made about how they function

Question 2

What is the histology of the kidney and nephrons?

Answer 2

Histology (also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy) is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues
The histology of the kidney and specifically the histology of the functional unit of the kidney, the nephron, can be studied by staining sections of kidney tissue and viewing them under a microscope
These stained samples can then be examined for drawing and labelling to identify the different structures within the nephron
It is not possible to see complete nephrons in any section of stained kidney tissue because they are irregular structures that do not lie in any one plane within the kidney