Chapter 2: Anatomy of the Kidney

Question 1

Location of the kidney

Answer 1

Retroperitoneal; between the T12 and L3

Question 2

Which kidney is the more caudal?

Answer 2

Right

Question 3

Normal weight of each kidney in adult males and adult females

Answer 3

125-170 g in adult male

115-155 g in adult female

Question 4

Length, width, and thickness of a normal kidney

Answer 4

11-12 cm long
5-7.5 cm wide
2.5-3 cm thick

Question 5

This is located in the medial of concave surface of the kidney

Answer 5

Hilum

Question 6

An indentation where the renal pelvis, the renal artery and vein, the lymphatics, and a nerve plexus pass into the sinus of the kidney

Answer 6

Hilum

Question 7

T or F: Each kidney is normally supplied by a single renal artery

Answer 7

True

although one or more accessory renal arteries may be present

Question 8

3 segmental or lobar arteries arise from _____ branch of the renal artery and supply the upper, middle, and lower thirds of the ____ surface of the kidney

Answer 8

anterior branch

anterior surface

Question 9

The apical segmental or lobar branch arises most commonly from which branch of the renal artery?

Answer 9

anterior

Question 10

T or F: Collateral circulation exists between individual segmental or lobar arteries of their subdivisions.

Answer 10

False.

No collateral circulation.

Question 11

The kidneys often receive aberrant arteries from (4)

Answer 11

1. superior mesenteric artery
2. suprarenal artery
3. testicular artery
4. ovarian arteries

Question 12

True accessory arteries that supply the lower pole of the kidney arise from

Answer 12

abdominal aorta

Question 13

On the tip of each renal papilla is the ________, where the distal ends of collecting ducts open into the renal pelvis

Answer 13

area cribrosa

Question 14

Collecting ducts are also known as

Answer 14

ducts of Bellini

Question 15

A single renal pyramid and its surrounding cortex comprise a ____

Answer 15

renal lobe

Question 16

Normal cortical thickness

Answer 16

1 cm

Question 17

The renal cortex forms a cap over the base of each renal pyramid and extends downward between the individual pyramids to form the ______

Answer 17

columns of Bertin

Question 18

The medullary rays are formed by _______, _______, and ________, aligned together

Answer 18

1. cortical collecting ducts
2. straight segments of the proximal tubules
3. cortical thick ascending limbs of the loop of henle

Question 19

This represents the expanded portion of the upper urinary tract

Answer 19

renal pelvis

Question 20

Two and sometimes three extensions of the renal pelvis, called _______, reach outward from the upper dilated part of the pelvis

Answer 20

major calyces

this further divides into several minor calyces

Question 21

The ureters originate from the ______

Answer 21

distal renal pelvis at the ureteropelvic junction

Question 22

Normal length and diameter or ureter

Answer 22

28-34 cm long

1.8-3 mm in diameter

Question 23

Functional unit of the kidney

Answer 23

nephron

Question 24

Other term for renal corpuscle

Answer 24

Malpighian corpuscle

Question 25

The Malpighian corpuscle comprise the ____ and ____

Answer 25

glomerulus and the Bowman’s capsule

Question 26

Average nephron number per kidney in humans

Answer 26

900,000 to 1 million

may range from approximately 200,000 to 2.5 million

Question 27

T or F. The collecting duct is part of the nephron

Answer 27

False. They have different embryonic origin

Question 28

Classification of nephron based on the position of the gromerulus in the cortex (3)

Answer 28

1. superficial
2. midcortical
3. juxtamedullary

Question 29

The loop of Henle contains the (3)

Answer 29

1. straight portion of the proximal tubule
2. descending and ascending thin limb segments
3. straight portion of the distal tubule