Lecture 10: Renal Anatomy Flashcards
What organs make up the urinary system?
Kidneys
Ureters
Urinary Bladder
Urethra
Simply put, what is the physiological role of kidneys?
- Filter metabolic waste products and toxins
- Convert filtrate to urine
- Blood pressure regulation
Where are kidneys found?
Anteriorly at retroperitoneal region at T12-L3
*right kidney slightly lower because of liver
What enters the renal hilum?
Blood vessels
Nerves
Ureter
In the posterior aspect, what is found at the transpyloric plane
Where is the inferior pole of the right kidney located?
Left kidney: hilum
Right kidney: superior pole
around index finger length below the iliac crest
From outward to the kidney itself, describe the layers of renal fat.
Superficial: Paranephric Fat
Middle: Renal fascia
Deep: Perinephric fat
What is renal fascia continuous with?
Inferior diaphragmatic fascia
The renal cortex contains _____ and makes _____
renal corpuscles, erythropoietin (at the interstitial portion)
The renal medulla is a collection of what?
Renal pyramids and column
What is the significance of the renal pelvis?
The renal calyxes are out-pocketings of the renal pelvis that eventually become what?
drains the filtrate from nephrons to ureter. Susceptible to narrowing and renal stone obstruction
Ureter
Where do renal arteries branch off?
Descending aorta
What do arterial pathway of the blood from body to kidney?
What is the venous pathway of blood from kidney and back to body?
Descending aorta > Renal Artery > Segmental Artery –> Interlobar Artery –> Arcuate Artery –> Interlobular Artery –> Afferent Arteriole > Glomerulus > Peritubular capillaries/Vesa Recta
Vesa recta > efferent arteriole > Cortical radiate V. > Arcuate V. > Interlobar V. > Renal V. > Inferior vena cava
What is the role of the afferent arteriole?
Efferent arteriole?
Brings blood to glomerulus to get filtered
Brings filtered blood from nephron back to body
What arteries do ureters “leech” off of?
What does the term “water under the bridge” mean?
branches of renal, gonadal, abdominal, iliac, superior vesicular and pelvic/perineal arteries
If blood vessels on top of the ureter are damaged, the ureter itself can be damaged as well.
Nutcracker syndrome
Cause
Clinical
Compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and aorta
- hematuria
- proteinuria
- flank pain
- nausea