Kidney
The human kidney structure consists of two reddish bean-shaped
organs located below the rib cage on either side of the spine.
The size is about a handful, about 10 to 12 cm.
The kidneys are the main organs of the human excretory system
and are responsible for filtering blood before urine is formed.
For a deeper understanding, let's look at the structure of the organ.
External and Internal features of the kidney
1)The kidney has convex and concave edges.
2) The inner concave side has a notch called the hilum through
which the renal artery enters the kidney and the renal vein and
ureter exit.
3)The outer layer of the kidney is a tough capsule.
4)Internally, the kidney is divided into the outer renal cortex and
the inner renal medulla.
5)The hilum extends inside the kidney into a funnel-shaped space
called the renal pelvis.
6)The renal pelvis has a projection called the calyx (sing: calyx).
7)The pith is divided into medullary cones that project into the
calyx.
8)Between the medullary cones, the cortex extends as renal
columns, the so-called columns of Bertini.
9)The kidneys are made up of millions of small units called
nephrons, which are also functional units.
Function
1)The most important function of the kidneys is to filter blood and
produce urine.
The human kidney structure consists of two reddish bean-shaped
organs located below the rib cage on either side of the spine.
The size is about a handful, about 10 to 12 cm.
The kidneys are the main organs of the human excretory system
and are responsible for filtering blood before urine is formed.
For a deeper understanding, let's look at the structure of the organ.
External and Internal features of the kidney
1)The kidney has convex and concave edges.
2) The inner concave side has a notch called the hilum through
which the renal artery enters the kidney and the renal vein and
ureter exit.
3)The outer layer of the kidney is a tough capsule.
4)Internally, the kidney is divided into the outer renal cortex and
the inner renal medulla.
5)The hilum extends inside the kidney into a funnel-shaped space
called the renal pelvis.
6)The renal pelvis has a projection called the calyx (sing: calyx).
7)The pith is divided into medullary cones that project into the
calyx.
8)Between the medullary cones, the cortex extends as renal
columns, the so-called columns of Bertini.
9)The kidneys are made up of millions of small units called
nephrons, which are also functional units.
Function
1)The most important function of the kidneys is to filter blood and
produce urine.
