Renal Anatomy and Histology

Question 1

Which kidney is smaller and lower in the retroperitoneal space, right or left?

Answer 1

Right (pushed down by the liver)

Question 2

What is contained in the renal hilum?

Answer 2

blood vessels, lymphatics, nerves and renal pelvis

Question 3

What kind of tissue makes up the renal cortex?

Answer 3

parenchyma

Question 4

What 3 structures are found in the cortex?

Answer 4

Cortical labyrinth
medullary rays
renal columns

Question 5

What is the cortical labyrinth?

Answer 5

renal corpuscles and convoluted tubules of the nephron in the cortex

Question 6

What are the medullary rays?

Answer 6

the straight tubules and collecting tubules that move from medulla into the cortex

Question 7

What are the renal columns/

Answer 7

the cortical regions that extend between pyramids of the medulla

Question 8

What aspects of the nephron are contained in the medulla?

Answer 8

straight tubules, loop of Henle, and the collecting ducts

Question 9

What is the name of the apex of the medullary pyramid that makes contact with the renal pelvis?

Answer 9

the papilla

Question 10

Define a kidney lobe

Answer 10

medullary pyramid and its associated cortex

Question 11

Define the renal sinus

Answer 11

the space which contains the pelvis, vessels and lymphatics/nerves. Filled with fat that is contiguous with perirenal fat

Question 12

Where is the glomerulus located?

Answer 12

the renal corpuscle, which is in the cortex

Question 13

After the renal corpuscle, what is the next part of the nephron?

Answer 13

proximal convoluted tubule

Question 14

after the proximal convoluted tubule, what is the next part of the nephron?

Answer 14

proximal straight tubule/thick descending loop of Henle

Question 15

What does ascending or descending refer to in describing the loop of Henle?

Answer 15

Ascending: towards renal capsule
Descending: towards renal pelvis/medulla

Question 16

After the thick descending loop of henle, what is the next part of the nephron?

Answer 16

thin descending loop of Henle

Question 17

after the thin descending loop of Henle, what is the next part of the nephron?

Answer 17

thin ascending loop of henle

Question 18

After the thin ascending loop of henle, what is the next part of the nephron?

Answer 18

Distal straight tubule/thick ascending loop

Question 19

Where is the macula densa located relative to the rest of the nephron?

Answer 19

next to the vascular pole of the corpuscle, after the distal straight tubule/thick ascending loop

Question 20

What comes after the macula densa on the nephron?

Answer 20

distal convoluted tubule

Question 21

What comes after the distal convoluted tubule in the nephron?

Answer 21

collecting tubule

Question 22

Where do multiple nephrons join within the cortex?

Answer 22

at the collecting tubule, which feeds into the cortical collecting duct

Question 23

where is the cortical collecting duct located relative to the medulla and the cortex?

Answer 23

in the medullary ray, extending into the cortex

Question 24

After the outer medullary collecting duct, what is next in the nephron? what does it feed into?

Answer 24

the inner medullary collecting duct, which feeds into the papilla

Question 25

Which part of the nephron is made up of simple cuboidal epithelium with microvilli?

Answer 25

the proximal convoluted tubule

Question 26

Which part of the nephron is made up of simple squamous epithelium?

Answer 26

the loop of henle

Question 27

Which part of the nephron is made up of cuboidal epithelium with a small amount of microvilli?

Answer 27

the distal convoluted tubule

Question 28

What type of epithelium makes up the collecting ducts?

Answer 28

cuboidal/columnar epithelium

Question 29

Which part of the kidney contains transitional epithelium?

Answer 29

the ureters

Question 30

What part of the kidney regulates blood pressure?

Answer 30

the juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA), via the RAAS.

Question 31

What makes up the JGA?

Answer 31

macula densa and juxtaglomerular cells

Question 32

What is the macula densa derived from?

Answer 32

modified thick ascending limb cells with more crowded nuclei and darker staining cytoplasm

Question 33

What are juxtoglomerular cells derived from?

Answer 33

modified smooth muscle cells which associate with the AFFERENT arteriole

Question 34

Where is the macula densa monitoring salt concentration and fluid volume?

Answer 34

in the distal tubule (mostly thick ascending limb)

Question 35

What percentage of CO goes to the kidney? where in the kidney?

Answer 35

25%, 95% of this goes to the cortex

Question 36

How many segmental arteries does the renal artery divide into?

Answer 36

5 on each kidney

Question 37

What do the segmental branches of the renal artery divide into?

Answer 37

the interlobar arteries

Question 38

What comes after the interlobar arteries?

Answer 38

the arcuate arteries, which follow the cortico medullary border and "arch"

Question 39

What comes after the arcuate arteries?

Answer 39

the interlobular arteries, which ascend into the labyrinths

Question 40

Distinguish between a renal lobe and lobule.

Answer 40

lobe = medullar pyramid + associated cortex/renal column lobule = collecting duct + all the nephrons it drains

Question 41

What branches off of the interlobular arteries?

Answer 41

afferent arterioles

Question 42

When the efferent arterioles exit the glomeruli, what do they form?

Answer 42

the peritubular capillaries and the descending vasa recta

Question 43

Where does venous return begin in the kidney?

Answer 43

the interlobular veins and ascending vasa recta

Question 44

What 3 membranes make up the filtration apparatus of the glomerulus?

Answer 44

1. fenestrated endothelium 2. interdigitating foot processes of the podocyte 3. basal lamina shared by the two epithelial layers

Question 45

What cell "cleans" the filtration system of the glomerulus?

Answer 45

mesangial cells

Question 46

Which one of the following is part of the filtration apparatus? 1. parietal layer of bowman's capsule 2. mesangial cells 3. podocytes 4. juxtaglomerular cells 5. macula densa cells

Answer 46

3. podocytes - parietal cells of the Bowman's capsule surround the whole renal corpuscle, mesangial cells are phagocytic to clear the filtration membrane, JG cells secrete renin, and macula densa cells of thick ascending limbs act on JG cells

Question 47

What do glomerular capillary tufts and the bowman's capsule (both layers) form?

Answer 47

the renal corpuscle

Question 48

What are the two layers of the Bowman's capsule?

Answer 48

parietal layer | visceral layer - podocytes

Question 49

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : urinary space of the renal corpuscle

Answer 49

proximal convoluted tubule

Question 50

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : afferent arteriole

Answer 50

glomerular capillaries

Question 51

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle

Answer 51

distal convoluted tubule

Question 52

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : interlobar arteries

Answer 52

arcuate arteries

Question 53

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : major calyx

Answer 53

renal pelvis

Question 54

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : efferent arteriole

Answer 54

peritubular capillaries AND vasa recta arteries

Question 55

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : proximal convoluted tubule

Answer 55

thick descending limb of the loop of Henle

Question 56

What structure immediately follows the direction of blood or urine flow in the : collecting duct

Answer 56

minor calyx