Review Questions:
What is the basic functional unit of the kidney?
Which kidney is usually located more cranial than the other?
What tubes take the newly formed urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder?
Is the glomerulus located in the renal cortex or medulla?
Is the distal convoluted tubule located in the renal cortex or medulla?
Are the renal corpuscle and the proximal convoluted tubule located in the renal cortex or medulla?
Are the loops of Henle located in the renal cortex or medulla?
How many ureters are found in a normal urinary system?
What urinary system structure is located retroperitoneal?
Are the blood vessels that carry blood into the glomeruli afferent or efferent arterioles?
Is the hilus of a kidney in the body located on the lateral or medial side of the kidney?
T he Correct Answer and Explanation is :
Correct Answers:
- What is the basic functional unit of the kidney?
→ Nephron - Which kidney is usually located more cranial than the other?
→ Right kidney - What tubes take the newly formed urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder?
→ Ureters - Is the glomerulus located in the renal cortex or medulla?
→ Renal cortex - Is the distal convoluted tubule located in the renal cortex or medulla?
→ Renal cortex - Are the renal corpuscle and the proximal convoluted tubule located in the renal cortex or medulla?
→ Renal cortex - Are the loops of Henle located in the renal cortex or medulla?
→ Renal medulla - How many ureters are found in a normal urinary system?
→ Two - What urinary system structure is located retroperitoneal?
→ Kidneys - Are the blood vessels that carry blood into the glomeruli afferent or efferent arterioles?
→ Afferent arterioles - Is the hilus of a kidney in the body located on the lateral or medial side of the kidney?
→ Medial side
Explanation
The nephron is the microscopic structural and functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood, reabsorbing essential nutrients, and forming urine. Each kidney contains over a million nephrons.
The right kidney is typically positioned slightly more cranial than the left due to the presence of the liver, which displaces it.
Ureters are muscular tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder via peristaltic contractions. Each kidney connects to one ureter, making a total of two in a normal urinary system.
The glomerulus, a network of capillaries responsible for blood filtration, resides within the renal cortex. Similarly, the renal corpuscle, which includes the glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule, and the proximal and distal convoluted tubules are also located in the renal cortex, emphasizing the cortex’s role in initial urine formation and reabsorption.
The loop of Henle, which dips into the renal medulla, is vital for concentrating urine by creating a gradient that facilitates water reabsorption.
The kidneys are retroperitoneal, meaning they lie behind the peritoneal lining of the abdominal cavity, providing them a degree of protection and anchorage.
Blood enters the glomerulus via the afferent arteriole, which is wider than the efferent arteriole that carries blood away, helping to maintain the pressure necessary for filtration.
Lastly, the hilus (or hilum), the recessed area through which blood vessels, lymphatics, and the ureter enter and exit the kidney, is situated on the medial side of each kidney.
