BIOL 235 TEST BANK 2026 FULLY
SOLVED QUESTIONS GUARANTEED TO
PASS.
■ adipose capsule. Ans: middle layer of tissue surrounding each kidney.
Mass of fatty tissue surrounding the renal capsule. It also protects the
kidney from trauma and holds it firmly in place within the abdominal
cavity.
■ renal fascia. Ans: superficial layer of tissue surrounding each kidney.
Another thin layer of dense irregular connective tissue that anchors the
kidney to the surrounding structures and to the abdominal wall. On the
anterior surface of the kidneys, the renal fascia is deep to the
peritoneum.
■ renal cortex. Ans: superficial, light red region of the kidney. Smooth-
textured area extending from the renal capsule to the bases of the renal
pyramids and into the spaces between them. It is divided into an outer
cortical zone and an inner juxtamedullary zone.
■ cortical zone. Ans: outer zone of renal cortex.
■ juxtamedullary zone. Ans: inner zone of renal cortex.
,■ renal medulla. Ans: deep, darker reddish-brown inner region of the
kidney. Consists of several cone-shaped renal pyramids.
■ renal pyramids. Ans: base (wider end) of each of these structures of
the renal medulla faces the renal cortex.
■ renal papilla. Ans: apex of each renal pyramid that points to the renal
hilum.
■ renal columns. Ans: those portions of the renal cortex that extend
between renal pyramids.
■ renal lobe. Ans: consists of a renal pyramid, some of the renal column
on either side of the renal pyramid, and the renal cortex at the base of the
renal pyramid.
■ parenchyma. Ans: functional portion of the kidney. Formed by the
renal cortex and renal pyramids of the renal medulla.
■ Nephrons. Ans: the one million microscopic structures that are the
functional units of the kidney. Located within the parenchyma. Form
filtrate (filtered fluid), which drains into large papillary ducts. Consists
of two parts: renal corpuscle and renal tubule.
,■ Papillary ducts. Ans: filtrate formed by the nephrons drains into these
structures, which extend through the renal papillae of the pyramids.
■ Minor calyx (plural is calyces). Ans: each kidney has 8 to 18 of these
structures. Receives urine from the papillary ducts of one renal papilla
and delivers it to a major calyx. Once the filtrate enters the calyces it
becomes urine because no further reabsorption can occur. The reason for
this is that the simple epithelium of the nephron and ducts becomes
transitional epithelium in the calyces.
■ Major calyx. Ans: each kidney has 2 to 3 of these structures. From
these structures, urine drains into a single large cavity called the renal
pelvis and then out through the ureter to the urinary bladder.
■ Renal pelvis. Ans: the single large cavity into the which the major
calyces drain. From here, urine drains out through the ureter to the
urinary bladder.
■ Renal sinus. Ans: cavity within the kidney which contains part of the
renal pelvis, the calyces, and branches of the renal blood vessels and
nerves. Hilum expands into this cavity.
■ Blood and nerve supply of kidneys. Ans: although the kidneys
constitute less than 0.5% of total body mass, they receive 20-25% of the
resting cardiac output.
, ■ renal artery. Ans: artery that supplies the kidneys.
■ afferent arteriole. Ans: supplies blood to one nephron. Divides into a
tangled, ball-shaped capillary network called the glomerulus.
■ glomerulus. Ans: tangled, ball-shaped capillary network at the end of
an afferent arteriole. Unique among capillaries in the body because they
are positioned between two arterioles, rather than between an arteriole
and a venule. Because they are capillary networks and they also play an
important role in urine formation, they are considered part of both the
cardiovascular and the urinary systems.
■ efferent arteriole. Ans: glomerular capillaries reunite to form this
structure, which carries blood out of the glomerulus.
■ peritubular capillaries. Ans: efferent arterioles divide to form these
structures, which surround tubular parts of the nephron in the renal
cortex.
■ vasa recta. Ans: long, loop-shaped capillaries extending from some
efferent arterioles that supply tubular portions of the nephron in the renal
medulla.
■ renal vein. Ans: structure through which blood leaves the kidney. Exits
at the renal hilum and carries venous blood to the inferior vena cava.
SOLVED QUESTIONS GUARANTEED TO
PASS.
■ adipose capsule. Ans: middle layer of tissue surrounding each kidney.
Mass of fatty tissue surrounding the renal capsule. It also protects the
kidney from trauma and holds it firmly in place within the abdominal
cavity.
■ renal fascia. Ans: superficial layer of tissue surrounding each kidney.
Another thin layer of dense irregular connective tissue that anchors the
kidney to the surrounding structures and to the abdominal wall. On the
anterior surface of the kidneys, the renal fascia is deep to the
peritoneum.
■ renal cortex. Ans: superficial, light red region of the kidney. Smooth-
textured area extending from the renal capsule to the bases of the renal
pyramids and into the spaces between them. It is divided into an outer
cortical zone and an inner juxtamedullary zone.
■ cortical zone. Ans: outer zone of renal cortex.
■ juxtamedullary zone. Ans: inner zone of renal cortex.
,■ renal medulla. Ans: deep, darker reddish-brown inner region of the
kidney. Consists of several cone-shaped renal pyramids.
■ renal pyramids. Ans: base (wider end) of each of these structures of
the renal medulla faces the renal cortex.
■ renal papilla. Ans: apex of each renal pyramid that points to the renal
hilum.
■ renal columns. Ans: those portions of the renal cortex that extend
between renal pyramids.
■ renal lobe. Ans: consists of a renal pyramid, some of the renal column
on either side of the renal pyramid, and the renal cortex at the base of the
renal pyramid.
■ parenchyma. Ans: functional portion of the kidney. Formed by the
renal cortex and renal pyramids of the renal medulla.
■ Nephrons. Ans: the one million microscopic structures that are the
functional units of the kidney. Located within the parenchyma. Form
filtrate (filtered fluid), which drains into large papillary ducts. Consists
of two parts: renal corpuscle and renal tubule.
,■ Papillary ducts. Ans: filtrate formed by the nephrons drains into these
structures, which extend through the renal papillae of the pyramids.
■ Minor calyx (plural is calyces). Ans: each kidney has 8 to 18 of these
structures. Receives urine from the papillary ducts of one renal papilla
and delivers it to a major calyx. Once the filtrate enters the calyces it
becomes urine because no further reabsorption can occur. The reason for
this is that the simple epithelium of the nephron and ducts becomes
transitional epithelium in the calyces.
■ Major calyx. Ans: each kidney has 2 to 3 of these structures. From
these structures, urine drains into a single large cavity called the renal
pelvis and then out through the ureter to the urinary bladder.
■ Renal pelvis. Ans: the single large cavity into the which the major
calyces drain. From here, urine drains out through the ureter to the
urinary bladder.
■ Renal sinus. Ans: cavity within the kidney which contains part of the
renal pelvis, the calyces, and branches of the renal blood vessels and
nerves. Hilum expands into this cavity.
■ Blood and nerve supply of kidneys. Ans: although the kidneys
constitute less than 0.5% of total body mass, they receive 20-25% of the
resting cardiac output.
, ■ renal artery. Ans: artery that supplies the kidneys.
■ afferent arteriole. Ans: supplies blood to one nephron. Divides into a
tangled, ball-shaped capillary network called the glomerulus.
■ glomerulus. Ans: tangled, ball-shaped capillary network at the end of
an afferent arteriole. Unique among capillaries in the body because they
are positioned between two arterioles, rather than between an arteriole
and a venule. Because they are capillary networks and they also play an
important role in urine formation, they are considered part of both the
cardiovascular and the urinary systems.
■ efferent arteriole. Ans: glomerular capillaries reunite to form this
structure, which carries blood out of the glomerulus.
■ peritubular capillaries. Ans: efferent arterioles divide to form these
structures, which surround tubular parts of the nephron in the renal
cortex.
■ vasa recta. Ans: long, loop-shaped capillaries extending from some
efferent arterioles that supply tubular portions of the nephron in the renal
medulla.
■ renal vein. Ans: structure through which blood leaves the kidney. Exits
at the renal hilum and carries venous blood to the inferior vena cava.
