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Related Concept Videos

Kidney Structure01:45

Kidney Structure

The kidneys are two large bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdomen. They filter the blood several times a day to remove toxins and rebalance water and electrolytes of the circulatory system via the renal veins. The kidneys receive blood directly from the heart via the renal arteries. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the concave surface of the bean, where they branch and divide into smaller vessels and capillaries.
External Anatomy of the Kidney01:21

External Anatomy of the Kidney

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs in the human body that play a critical role in maintaining overall health. They filter out waste products from the blood, regulate blood pressure, maintain electrolyte balance, and stimulate the production of red blood cells.
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...
Internal Anatomy of the Kidney01:12

Internal Anatomy of the Kidney

The kidneys are essential organs in the human body, performing a myriad of tasks that maintain homeostasis and overall health.
Anatomical Position and Dimensions
The kidneys are retroperitoneal organs positioned against the posterior abdominal wall on either side of the spine, roughly between the twelfth thoracic and third lumbar vertebrae. Each kidney is typically 10-12 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, and 3-4 cm thick, weighing about 150 grams.
Renal Cortex
The outermost region of the kidney is the...
Nephrons01:10

Nephrons

The kidneys are intricate organs with millions of working units known as nephrons. Each nephron features two major structures: the renal corpuscle, which facilitates blood plasma filtration, and the renal tubule, which handles the glomerular filtrate. Blood supply is directly linked to the nephrons. The renal corpuscle consists of the glomerulus, a capillary network, and the Bowman's capsule, a double-walled epithelial structure that encases the glomerulus. The filtering of blood plasma happens...
Renal Corpuscle01:20

Renal Corpuscle

The glomerulus and Bowman's capsule are two essential components of the nephron, which is the functional unit of the kidney. These microscopic structures play a critical role in the process of blood filtration to produce urine.
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous capillaries...
Chronic Kidney Disease I: Introduction01:25

Chronic Kidney Disease I: Introduction

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) arises when the kidneys progressively lose their ability to function, ultimately leading to end-stage renal disease. At this advanced stage, the kidneys can no longer filter waste or maintain essential body functions, requiring renal replacement therapy (RRT) through dialysis or a kidney transplant for survival.Early-stage chronic kidney disease and detection challengesIn CKD's early stages, symptoms often remain absent because healthy nephrons compensate for...

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Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

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Health-related quality of life in people with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: a systematic review.

Clinical kidney journal·2026
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Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.

Lancet (London, England)·2026
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BICC1 interacts with PKD1 and PKD2 to drive cystogenesis in ADPKD.

eLife·2026
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Genetic testing in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease: why it matters in 2025.

Clinical kidney journal·2025
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Translational readthrough therapy for ADPKD induces polycystin1 expression and partially rescues functional deficits in PKD1 mutant cells.

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Monoallelic IFT140 Variants Causing Childhood-Onset Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease.

American journal of kidney diseases : the official journal of the National Kidney Foundation·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Evaluation of Zebrafish Kidney Function Using a Fluorescent Clearance Assay
08:13

Evaluation of Zebrafish Kidney Function Using a Fluorescent Clearance Assay

Published on: February 20, 2015

Polycystic kidney disease--the ciliary connection.

Albert C M Ong1, Denys N Wheatley

  • 1Sheffield Kidney Institute, Division of Clinical Sciences (North), University of Sheffield, S5 7AU, Sheffield, UK. a.ong@sheffield.ac.uk

Lancet (London, England)
|March 7, 2003
PubMed
Summary

Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) involves genetic mutations affecting kidney structure. Research suggests primary cilia dysfunction is a key factor in developing PKD, impacting kidney cell function and leading to cyst formation.

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Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring
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Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring

Published on: June 23, 2015

Implementing Patch Clamp and Live Fluorescence Microscopy to Monitor Functional Properties of Freshly Isolated PKD Epithelium
08:46

Implementing Patch Clamp and Live Fluorescence Microscopy to Monitor Functional Properties of Freshly Isolated PKD Epithelium

Published on: September 1, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 14, 2026

Evaluation of Zebrafish Kidney Function Using a Fluorescent Clearance Assay
08:13

Evaluation of Zebrafish Kidney Function Using a Fluorescent Clearance Assay

Published on: February 20, 2015

Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring
07:35

Use of Ultra-high Field MRI in Small Rodent Models of Polycystic Kidney Disease for In Vivo Phenotyping and Drug Monitoring

Published on: June 23, 2015

Implementing Patch Clamp and Live Fluorescence Microscopy to Monitor Functional Properties of Freshly Isolated PKD Epithelium
08:46

Implementing Patch Clamp and Live Fluorescence Microscopy to Monitor Functional Properties of Freshly Isolated PKD Epithelium

Published on: September 1, 2015

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Genetics
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Polycystic kidney disease (PKD) is a common genetic disorder with a long history of study.
  • Autosomal dominant PKD arises from mutations in PKD1 or PKD2, encoding polycystin-1 and polycystin-2.
  • Primary cilia, once considered vestigial, are now implicated in various genetic disorders, including PKD.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the role of primary cilia in the pathogenesis of polycystic kidney disease (PKD).
  • To explore the connection between ciliary dysfunction and the development of cystic kidneys.
  • To understand the function of polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 in renal epithelial cells.

Main Methods:

  • Localization studies of polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 in primary cilia of cultured renal epithelial cells.
  • Functional analysis of polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 as mechanosensors in signal-transduction pathways.
  • Review of existing literature on primary cilia and PKD.

Main Results:

  • Polycystin-1 and polycystin-2 are found within primary cilia of renal epithelial cells.
  • These proteins function as flow-sensitive mechanosensors, suggesting a role in sensing urinary flow.
  • Ciliary dysfunction is proposed as a unifying mechanism for different forms of PKD.

Conclusions:

  • Primary cilia play a critical role in kidney physiology and PKD development.
  • Defects in ciliary structure and function lead to the characteristic cystic phenotype of PKD.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate the physiological roles of renal cilia in PKD.