Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

External Anatomy of the Kidney01:21

External Anatomy of the Kidney

1.1K
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...
1.1K
Internal Anatomy of the Kidney01:12

Internal Anatomy of the Kidney

1.8K
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...
1.8K
Kidney Structure01:45

Kidney Structure

69.8K
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.
69.8K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Advancing mechanobiology from single molecules to complex cellular systems.

Nature nanotechnology·2026
Same author

MorphoGrad: A MATLAB toolbox for simulating steady-state morphogen gradients under cell-to-cell variability.

STAR protocols·2026
Same author

Coordination of nephrogenesis with branching of the urinary collecting system, the vasculature and the nervous system.

Current topics in developmental biology·2025
Same author

Bioaccumulation of Organic and Inorganic Pollutants in Fish from Thermaikos Gulf: Preliminary Human Health Risk Assessment Assisted by a Computational Approach.

Journal of xenobiotics·2024
Same author

The first two blastomeres contribute unequally to the human embryo.

Cell·2024
Same author

Publisher Correction: SimuCell3D: three-dimensional simulation of tissue mechanics with cell polarization.

Nature computational science·2024
Same journal

Structural proteomics reveals that misfolded nascent proteins expose buried lysines for ubiquitination and rapid proteasomal degradation.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

Physical interactions within the SIR heterochromatin complex potentiate inter-subunit communication and gene repression.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

An IGF2BP3-dependent metabolic circuit governs macrophage recruitment and immunosuppression in glioblastoma.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

A cold-induced GDF15-secreting adipocyte subpopulation regulates energy homeostasis through endocrine signaling.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

RelB drives integrin-mediated stress tolerance and relapse in high-grade serous ovarian cancer.

Cell reports·2026
Same journal

Yeast β-glucan supplementation supports immunometabolic anti-tumor responses and reverses obesity-induced dysfunction via trained hematopoiesis.

Cell reports·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Developing a Bedside Protocol for Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasonography
03:19

Author Spotlight: Developing a Bedside Protocol for Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasonography

Published on: June 21, 2024

1.1K

Geometric effects position renal vesicles during kidney development.

Malte Mederacke1, Lisa Conrad2, Nikolaos Doumpas1

  • 1Department of Biosystems Science and Engineering, ETH Zürich, Schanzenstrasse 44, 4056 Basel, Switzerland; Swiss Institute of Bioinformatics, Mattenstrasse 26, 4058 Basel, Switzerland.

Cell Reports
|December 7, 2023
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Geometric effects concentrate WNT9b signaling at ureteric bud junctions, guiding kidney development and nephron positioning. This mechanism explains how renal vesicles form near branching collecting ducts.

Keywords:
CP: Developmental biologycomputational modelinglightsheet microscopyrenal development

More Related Videos

Analysis of Zebrafish Kidney Development with Time-lapse Imaging Using a Dissecting Microscope Equipped for Optical Sectioning
10:05

Analysis of Zebrafish Kidney Development with Time-lapse Imaging Using a Dissecting Microscope Equipped for Optical Sectioning

Published on: April 7, 2016

10.8K
In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow
10:25

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

Published on: February 4, 2015

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 9, 2025

Author Spotlight: Developing a Bedside Protocol for Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasonography
03:19

Author Spotlight: Developing a Bedside Protocol for Kidney and Genitourinary Ultrasonography

Published on: June 21, 2024

1.1K
Analysis of Zebrafish Kidney Development with Time-lapse Imaging Using a Dissecting Microscope Equipped for Optical Sectioning
10:05

Analysis of Zebrafish Kidney Development with Time-lapse Imaging Using a Dissecting Microscope Equipped for Optical Sectioning

Published on: April 7, 2016

10.8K
In Utero Intra-cardiac Tomato-lectin Injections on Mouse Embryos to Gauge Renal Blood Flow
10:25

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

Published on: February 4, 2015

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Computational Biology
  • Renal Physiology

Background:

  • Kidney development involves complex signaling between epithelium and mesenchyme.
  • The precise positioning of nephrons relative to collecting duct branches is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the mechanism positioning renal vesicles during kidney organogenesis.
  • To understand how WNT9b signaling influences nephron formation and collecting duct branching.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a combination of computational modeling and experimental approaches.
  • Investigated the role of geometric effects in concentrating signaling molecules.

Main Results:

  • Demonstrated that geometric effects concentrate WNT9b at junctions of ureteric bud branches.
  • Showed that WNT9b concentration drives renal vesicle emergence and nephron formation.
  • Identified this mechanism operates even with uniform WNT9b expression in the ureteric epithelium.

Conclusions:

  • Geometric effects are crucial for creating signaling gradients during kidney development.
  • This mechanism of localized signaling via curvature may be a general principle in developmental biology.