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External Anatomy of the Kidney

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...

Kidney Structure

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.

Internal Anatomy of the Kidney

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...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 18, 2026

In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow

In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow

Published on: February 4, 2015

Towards a quantitative model of kidney morphogenesis.

Alexander N Combes¹

¹Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Nephrology (Carlton, Vic.)

|January 27, 2015

Summary

Understanding kidney development requires studying the nephrogenic niche. New quantitative imaging and modeling techniques are advancing our knowledge of kidney organogenesis and progenitor cell dynamics.

Keywords:

cell differentiation cell proliferation developmental nephrology

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Last Updated: Apr 18, 2026

In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow

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Published on: February 4, 2015

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Published on: April 22, 2011

Estimation of Nephron Number in Whole Kidney using the Acid Maceration Method

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Published on: May 22, 2019

Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Organogenesis
Cell biology

Background:

Kidney growth depends on interactions within the nephrogenic niche, involving mesenchymal nephron progenitors, ureteric epithelium, and stroma.
Signaling pathways regulate nephron progenitor maintenance, branching morphogenesis, and nephron induction.
Nephron endowment is sensitive to progenitor pool size and factors promoting branching, but in vivo analysis is challenging due to tissue complexity.

Purpose of the Study:

To review how quantitative imaging and mathematical modeling advance the understanding of kidney organogenesis.
To highlight the application of advanced imaging techniques in studying kidney development dynamics.

Main Methods:

Application of whole mount immunofluorescence and tissue clearing techniques.
Multiscale imaging and quantitative analysis of kidney tissue.
Mathematical modeling of cell cycle, growth, cell number, and branching rates.

Main Results:

Quantitative approaches provide insights into the dynamics of kidney formation.
Mathematical modeling enables precise measurement of developmental parameters.
These methods overcome challenges posed by tissue size, opacity, and 3D complexity.

Conclusions:

Quantitative imaging and mathematical modeling are crucial for dissecting kidney organogenesis.
These approaches offer unprecedented insights into the regulation of kidney development.
Advancements in methodology are accelerating our understanding of kidney formation and progenitor cell behavior.