SB14U|Ms.

Lloyd|KidneyDissectionLab

Name:________________________

The Kidney Dissection

BACKGROUNDINFORMATION
Thehumanurinarysystemconsistsoftwokidneys,twoureters,oneurinarybladder,andone
urethra.Thissystemhastwobasicfunctions,bothofwhichoccurinthekidneys.Thefirstfunctionisto
removenitrogenouswastes(suchascreatine,urea,anduricacid)fromthebody.
Thesecondfunctionistomaintaintheelectrolyte,acidbase,andfluidbalancesoftheblood.
Oneproductoftheseprocessesisurine,whichgenerallyisapaleyellowfluidcontainingwater,
urea,sodium,potassium,phosphate,sulfateions,creatine,uricacid,calcium,magnesium,and
bicarbonateions.
Urinemovesfromthekidneystotheurinarybladderintheureters,which,forthepurposesof
thislab,areextensionsoftherenalpelvis.Urineisstoredintheurinarybladderuntilitleavesthebody
viatheurethra.

BASICKIDNEYANATOMY
Therearefourprimarycomponentstoakidney:
1.RenalCapsule:Asmoothsemitransparentmembranethatadherestightlytotheoutersurfaceofthe
kidney.
2.RenalCortex:Theregionofthekidneyjustbelowthecapsule.Whenyourkidneyisdissectedthen
youshouldbeabletoseeblueandredspecksscatteredthroughthecortex.Thesearespecksofinjected
latexthatillustratetherichvascularsupplyofthecortex.
3.MedullaryRegion(renalmedulla):Theregionjustdeeptothecortexthatissegregatedinto
triangularandcolumnarregions.Thetriangularregionsaretherenalpyramids,whichshouldbestriated
(orstriped)inappearanceduetothecollectingductsrunningthroughthem.Thecolumnarregions
betweenthepyramidsaretherenalcolumns.Theserenalcolumnsarewheretheinterlobararteriesare
located.
4.RenalPelvis:Acavitywithinthekidneythatiscontinuouswiththeureter,whichexitsfromthehilus.
Thepelvishasportionsthatextendtowardstheapexesoftherenalpyramids.Theprimary(large)
extensionsarethemajorcalycesandthesmallerextensionsaretheminorcalyces.

PROCEDURE
1.Getintogroupsof5.Twogroupswillstartthedissectionandtheothertwowillstartthevocabulary
sheet.Collectyourdissectingtoolsandtrayandvocabularysheet.
2.Youshouldnoticeadiposetissue(remnantsoftheadiposecapsule)clingingtothetherenalcapsule.

SB14U|Ms.Lloyd|KidneyDissectionLab

Name:________________________

3.Youshouldalsonoticeapinchedinareawheretherenalbloodvesselsandureterareattachedto
thekidney.Thisistherenalhilus.

4.Removetherenalcapsule.

5.Oncetherenalcapsuleisremoved,youwillbelookingattherenalcortex(ifyouwouldremovethe
renalcortexthenyouwouldseetherenalmedulla).
6.Separatetherenalbloodvesselsfromoneanotherandfromtheureter.Generally,thetubewiththe
mostadiposearounditistheureter.
*Noticethehistologicaldifferences(andsimilarities)betweentherenalarteries,renalveins,andureter.

SB14U|Ms.Lloyd|KidneyDissectionLab

Name:________________________

7.Makeafrontal(coronal)sectionthroughthekidney.Identifytherenalpyramids(andpartsofthe
pyramids),therenalcolumns,therenalpelvis,renalcortex,ureterandanybloodvesselsthatare
present.

8.Identifythefollowingstructuresofthekidney(writethenumberon/neartheregionofthekidneyin
thediagram).

1. RenalCapsule
2. RenalCortex
3. RenalMedulla
4. Ureter
5. RenalVein
6. RenalArtery
7. RenalPelvis

SB14U|Ms.Lloyd|KidneyDissectionLab

Name:________________________

REVIEWQUESTIONS

1. Describethetwomainfunctionsofthekidneys.
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2. Explainthefunctionsofthenephrons.
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3. Athletesundergorandomurinetestingfordrugs.Describethepathwayofsubstancessuchas
drugsthroughtheurinarysystemfromwhenthedrugenterstheglomerulusuntilitisexcreted
intheurine.
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4. Describethethreemainprocessesinvolvedinurineformation
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