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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.
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The kidneys are essential organs in the human body, performing a myriad of tasks that maintain homeostasis and overall health.
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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.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 17, 2026

Isolation and Culture of Cells from the Nephrogenic Zone of the Embryonic Mouse Kidney

Isolation and Culture of Cells from the Nephrogenic Zone of the Embryonic Mouse Kidney

Published on: April 22, 2011

Developmental Programming of Branching Morphogenesis in the Kidney.

Rosemary V Sampogna¹, Laura Schneider², Qais Al-Awqati²

¹Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York rvs2@columbia.edu.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN

|February 4, 2015

Summary

Understanding kidney development reveals two distinct phases of nephron formation. This research maps branching patterns to explain variations in nephron number, crucial for preventing kidney disease.

Keywords:

branching morphogenesis kidney development nephron number variability

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Published on: February 4, 2015

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Renal Physiology
Morphogenesis

Background:

Kidney development involves intricate branching to form nephrons, but regulation and variation sources are unclear.
Low nephron count is linked to hypertension and renal failure, highlighting the need to understand developmental processes.
Understanding kidney organogenesis is critical for preventing congenital anomalies and adult-onset diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the complete gestational trajectory of mouse kidney development.
To construct a computerized architectural map of kidney branching during fetal development.
To identify and quantify mechanisms governing kidney organogenesis and nephron number variation.

Main Methods:

Computerized architectural mapping of mouse kidney branching throughout gestation.
Analysis of developmental phases, branching rates, and morphologic parameters.
Application of the normative map to study kidney development under altered conditions (malnutrition, genetic mutation).

Main Results:

Kidney organogenesis occurs in two distinct phases: an early rapid branching phase and a later phase with decreased, constant branching rate.
The later phase exhibits non-stereotyped branching, leading to morphological variability until birth.
Four key mechanisms (growth, patterning, branching rate, nephron induction) were identified and quantified.
The map linked kidney architecture to morphogenetic mechanisms in models of malnutrition and growth factor mutation.

Conclusions:

A detailed map of kidney development reveals distinct phases and mechanisms influencing nephron number.
This morphogenetic map provides a framework for understanding kidney architecture and its link to developmental programming.
The findings offer potential targets for preventing kidney disease by intervening in developmental processes.