Lecture 10: Renal Anatomy

Question 1

What organs make up the urinary system?

Answer 1

Kidneys
Ureters
Urinary Bladder
Urethra

Question 2

Simply put, what is the physiological role of kidneys?

Answer 2

• Filter metabolic waste products and toxins
• Convert filtrate to urine
• Blood pressure regulation

Question 3

Where are kidneys found?

Answer 3

Anteriorly at retroperitoneal region at T12-L3

*right kidney slightly lower because of liver

Question 4

What enters the renal hilum?

Answer 4

Blood vessels
Nerves
Ureter

Question 5

In the posterior aspect, what is found at the transpyloric plane

Where is the inferior pole of the right kidney located?

Answer 5

Left kidney: hilum
Right kidney: superior pole

around index finger length below the iliac crest

Question 6

From outward to the kidney itself, describe the layers of renal fat.

Answer 6

Superficial: Paranephric Fat
Middle: Renal fascia
Deep: Perinephric fat

Question 7

What is renal fascia continuous with?

Answer 7

Inferior diaphragmatic fascia

Question 8

The renal cortex contains _____ and makes _____

Answer 8

renal corpuscles, erythropoietin (at the interstitial portion)

Question 9

The renal medulla is a collection of what?

Answer 9

Renal pyramids and column

Question 10

What is the significance of the renal pelvis?

The renal calyxes are out-pocketings of the renal pelvis that eventually become what?

Answer 10

drains the filtrate from nephrons to ureter. Susceptible to narrowing and renal stone obstruction

Ureter

Question 11

Where do renal arteries branch off?

Answer 11

Descending aorta

Question 12

What do arterial pathway of the blood from body to kidney?

What is the venous pathway of blood from kidney and back to body?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What is the role of the afferent arteriole?

Efferent arteriole?

Answer 13

Brings blood to glomerulus to get filtered

Brings filtered blood from nephron back to body

Question 14

What arteries do ureters “leech” off of?

What does the term “water under the bridge” mean?

Answer 14

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.

Question 15

Nutcracker syndrome
Cause
Clinical

Answer 15

Compression of the left renal vein between the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) and aorta

• hematuria
• proteinuria
• flank pain
• nausea

Question 16

What is the sympathetic innervation to the kidney?

Answer 16

1) Lesser and least splanchnic nerves (T10-11) synapsing in aorticorenal ganglia
2) Lumbar splanchnic nerve (L1-L2)

Question 17

What is the parasympathetic innervation to the kidney?

Answer 17

Vagus Nerve via the posterior vagal trunk (right side)

Question 18

What are the two type of nephrons and where are they located?

Answer 18

Juxtamedullary nephron - medulla

Cortical nephron - cortex

Question 19

Characteristics of cortical nephrons

Characteristics of medullary nephrons

Answer 19

large glomeruli, higher GFR

contains the loops of henle

Question 20

The blood filtered at the glomerulus drains into the ______

Answer 20

Bowman’s capsule

Question 21

Together, the glomerulus and the Bowman’s capsule make up the _____

Answer 21

Renal corpuscle

Question 22

The _____ and ______ ducts collect the urine from the nephrons

Answer 22

Cortical and medullary ducts

Question 23

Identify the External and internal anatomy of the kidneys (pictures on slides)

Answer 23

Ok

Question 24

Draw the blood vessels of the kidneys (kidney and nephron level)

Answer 24

Ok