Question

Inner to the helium there is a broad funnel shaped space called:
a. Renal pelvis
b. Calyses
c. Columns of bertini
d. Pelvic girdle

Answer 1

Hint: In a kidney, the hilum is a concave part from where the nerves and blood vessels, i.e. renal vein and renal artery enter and exit the kidney. The kidneys are connected to the urinary bladder with the help of ureters, which are tube-like structures that leave the kidney from the hilum. Two or three major calyces join to a point inner to the hilum.

Complete answer:
• Inner to the hilum, there is a broad funnel-shaped space called the renal pelvis.
• The renal pelvis is a funnel-shaped part of the kidney from where the nerves and blood vessels enter and exit the kidney. It is also the point of attachment for ureters, the tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
• The renal pelvis is the innermost region in the kidney. Inside the kidney, the renal pelvis branches out into calyces – major and minor. Major calyces branch out further into minor calyces.
• The renal pelvis is made of smooth muscles that facilitate the movement of urine into the ureters through peristalsis.

Hence, the correct answer is option (A).

Additional information:
> Calyces:
The calyces receive the urine for excretion from the nephrons through the bundles of collecting ducts, also known as papillae.
> Columns of Bertini:
Columns of Bertini are the columns of tissue present between the renal pyramids in the kidney. They are extensions of the cortex.
> Pelvic girdle:
The pelvic girdle is a part of the skeleton that serves as a point of attachment for the lower limbs. It is made up of hip bones.

Note: The internal structure of the kidney consists of three main regions – cortex (outermost), medulla (middle), and renal pelvis (innermost).
As the shape suggests, the renal pelvis funnels the urine into the ureters, from where it is transported to the bladder.
Cancers of the kidney predominantly originate in the renal pelvis.