Anatomy 25 Flashcards
Where do the adrenal glands lie?
Close to the upper pole of each kidney
Where does the right adrenal gland lie?
Behind the liver and inferior vena cava
Where does the left adrenal gland lie?
Behind the stomach and pancreas
Which 3 arteries supply the adrenal glands?
Superior adrenal artery
Middle adrenal artery
Inferior adrenal artery
What is the superior adrenal artery a branch of?
Inferior phrenic artery
What is the middle adrenal artery a branch of?
Abdominal aorta
What is the posterior adrenal artery a branch of?
Renal artery
What does the right adrenal vein drain directly into?
Inferior vena cava
What does the left adrenal vein drain first into?
Left renal vein
What does the left adrenal vein join?
Inferior vena cava
What is the adrenal gland composed of?
Cortex (outer part) and Medulla (inner part)
What does the cortex produce?
Steroid hormones including cortisol, aldosterone and testosterone
What does the medulla produce?
Adrenaline
What is Phaeochromocytoma?
Rare hormone-producing tumour of the adrenal medulla
What does secretion of excess adrenaline cause?
Symptoms and signs related to hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system, typically hypertension, tachycardia and excessive sweating
Where do the kidneys lie?
Outside the peritoneum so are called ‘extra-peritoneal’ structures, one on either side of the upper lumbar vertebrae
What is each kidney embedded in and what is it covered by?
Perinephric fat and this fatty layer is covered by renal fascia
What is on the medial border of the kidney?
Renal hilum, where the renal vessels, nerves, lymphatics and ureter enter or leave the kidney
What are the left and right arteries branches of?
Abdominal aorta
What do the left and right renal veins drain directly into?
Inferior vena cava
What is the internal aspect of the kidney composed of?
Cortex - outer part
Medulla - inner part arranged in pyramids
Calyces
What are the functional units of the kidneys (nephrons) responsible for?
Filtering blood
Reabsorbing water and solutes
Secreting and excreting waste products as urine
What structures are found in the cortex of the kidney?
Glomeruli
Glomerular capsules (Bowman’s capsule)
Proximal and distal tubules
Part of the collecting ducts
What structures are found in the renal pyramids?
Nephron loop (of henle)
Rest of the collecting ducts
What forms a major calyx?
Minor calyces merging with other minor calyces
What happens to urine from the collecting ducts?
Urine travels down the pyramid towards the renal papilla (the apex of the pyramid) where it enters a minor calyx
What do major calyces merge to form?
Renal pelvis
What is the renal pelvis continuous with?
Ureter
What is the function of the ureter?
Carry urine to the urinary bladder
What is the ureter?
Narrow tubes with muscular walls which transport urine by peristalsis
What do the ureter run anterior to?
Psoas major on the posterior abdominal wall and cross the pelvic brim to enter the pelvis