Question

Sketch a labeled L.S. of the human kidney.

Answer 1

Hint:The kidney is the main excretory organ in humans and they resemble a bean with two surfaces- one convex and one concave. They have many urine producing functional structures known as nephrons.

Complete answer:
Below is the longitudinal section of the human kidney:

The kidneys are located high in the abdominal cavity, in an asymmetrical position due to the liver that makes the right kidney slightly lower and smaller than the left one. The kidney is a bean-shaped structure with a convex and a concave border and surrounded by a tough fibrous tissue known as a renal capsule which is further surrounded by perirenal fat, renal fascia, and pararenal fat.

Additional Information:
The kidney is divided into two major structures known as the outer renal cortex and the inner renal medulla and grossly these two take the shape of 8-18 cone-shaped renal lobes containing the renal cortex surrounding a portion of medulla called a renal pyramid. The renal pyramids contain projections of the cortex in between them which are known as renal columns.

The structural and functional unit of the kidney is known as nephrons which have the filtering portion called renal corpuscles located in the cortex and renal tubules passing from the cortex deep into medullary pyramids.

Note:The kidney is the main organ related to excretion in humans as the nephron in the kidney filters the blood and produces urine. The papilla of each medullary pyramid empties the urine into the minor calyx, the minor calyx empties into major calyces and major calyces empty it further into the renal pelvis. This becomes the ureter and along with renal vein exits the kidney at the hilum and the renal artery enters there.