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Information about Renal Artery

Artery:
Human kidneys viewed from behind with spine removed
1. Renal pyramid
2. Efferent artery
3. Renal artery
4. Renal vein
5. Renal hilum
6. Renal pelvis
7. Ureter
8. Minor calyx
9. Renal capsule
10. Inferior renal capsule
11. Superior renal capsule
12. Afferent vein
13. Nephron
14. Minor calyx
15. Major calyx
16. Renal papilla
17. Renal column
Latinarteria renalis
subject #154 610
Supplieskidneys
Sourceabdominal aorta
Branchesinferior suprarenal artery, segmental arteries
Veinrenal vein
MeSH Renal+Artery
Dorlands/Elsevier a_61/12155727
The renal arteries normally arise off the side of the abdominal aorta, immediately below the superior mesenteric artery, and supply the kidneys with blood. Each is directed across the crus of the diaphragm, so as to form nearly a right angle with the aorta.

The renal arteries carry a large portion of total blood flow to the kidneys. Up to a third of total cardiac output can pass through the renal arteries to be filtered by the kidneys.

The arterial supply of the kidneys is variable and there may be one or more renal arteries supplying each kidney. It is located above the renal vein.

Asymmetries before reaching kidney

Due to the position of the aorta, the inferior vena cava and the kidneys in the body, the right renal artery is normally longer than the left renal artery.

At kidney

Before reaching the hilus of the kidney, each artery divides into four or five branches; the greater number of these lie between the renal vein and ureter, the vein being in front, the ureter behind, but one or more branches are usually situated behind the ureter.

Each vessel gives off some small inferior suprarenal branches to the suprarenal gland, the ureter, and the surrounding cellular tissue and muscles.

One or two accessory renal arteries are frequently found, more especially on the left side they usually arise from the aorta, and may come off above or below the main artery, the former being the more common position. Instead of entering the kidney at the hilus, they usually pierce the upper or lower part of the gland.

Diseases of the renal arteries

Renal artery stenosis, or narrowing of one or both renal arteries will lead to hypertension as the affected kidneys release renin to increase blood pressure to preserve perfusion to the kidneys. RAS is diagnosed with an MRA (magnet-resonance scan) of abdomen. It is treated with the use of balloon angioplasty and stents, if necessary.

Atherosclerosis can also affect the renal arteries and can lead to poor perfusion of the kidneys leading to reduced kidney function and, possibly, renal failure.

Additional images


Frontal section through the kidney

Abdominal portion of the sympathetic trunk, with the celiac and hypogastric plexuses.

The posterior surfaces of the kidneys, showing areas of relation to the parietes.

Front of abdomen, showing surface markings for arteries and inguinal canal.


External links

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Urinary system - Kidney
LayersRenal fascia • Renal capsule • Renal cortex  (Renal column) • Renal medulla (Renal sinus, Renal pyramids) • Renal lobe • Cortical lobule • Medullary ray • Nephron
Afferent circulationRenal artery → Segmental arteries → Interlobar arteries → Arcuate arteries → Cortical radial arteries → Afferent arterioles → Renal corpuscle (Glomerulus, Bowman's capsule)
Renal tubuleProximal tubule → Loop of Henle (Descending, Thin ascending, Thick ascending) → Distal convoluted tubule → Connecting tubule → Collecting ducts → Duct of Bellini → Renal papilla → Minor calyx → Major calyx → Renal pelvis → Ureter
Efferent circulationGlomerulus → Efferent arterioles → Peritubular capillaries/Vasa recta → Arcuate vein → Interlobar veins → Renal vein
Juxtaglomerular apparatusMacula densa • Juxtaglomerular cells • Extraglomerular mesangial cells
FiltrationGlomerular basement membrane • Podocyte • Filtration slits • Intraglomerular mesangial cells
Renal pyramids (or malpighian pyramids) are cone-shaped tissues of the kidney. The renal medulla is made up of 8 to 18 of these conical subdivisions. The broad base of each pyramid faces the renal cortex, and its apex, or papilla, points internally.
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The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.

It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins".
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hilum, and transmits the vessels, nerves, and ureter.

External links

  • Histology at BU 15901loa
This article was originally based on an entry from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.
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The renal pelvis is the funnel-like dilated proximal part of the ureter in the kidney.

It is the point of convergence of two or three major calyces. Each renal papilla is surrounded by a branch of the renal pelvis called a calyx.
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In human anatomy, the ureters are the ducts that carry urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder, passing anterior to the psoas major. The ureters are muscular tubes that can propel urine along by the motions of peristalsis. In the adult, the ureters are usually 25-30cm long.
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The minor calyx surrounds the apex of the malpighian pyramids. Urine formed in the kidney passes through a papilla at the apex into the minor calyx then into the major calyx.
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The renal capsule is a tough fibrous layer surrounding the kidney and covered in a thick layer of perinephric adipose tissue. It provides some protection from trauma and damage.
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The renal capsule is a tough fibrous layer surrounding the kidney and covered in a thick layer of perinephric adipose tissue. It provides some protection from trauma and damage.
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The renal capsule is a tough fibrous layer surrounding the kidney and covered in a thick layer of perinephric adipose tissue. It provides some protection from trauma and damage.
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A nephron (from Greek νεφρός (nephros) meaning "kidney") is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidney. Its chief function is to regulate the concentration of water and soluble substances like sodium salts by filtering the blood,
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The minor calyx surrounds the apex of the malpighian pyramids. Urine formed in the kidney passes through a papilla at the apex into the minor calyx then into the major calyx.
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The major calyx surrounds the apex of the the malpighian pyramids. Urine formed in the kidney passes through a papilla at the apex into a minor calyx then into major calyx before passing through the renal pelvis into the ureter.
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In the kidney, the renal papilla is the location where the Medullary pyramids empty urine into the renal pelvis. Histologically it is marked by medullary collecting ducts converging to channel the fluid. Transitional epithelium begins to be seen.
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The renal column (or Bertin column, or column of Bertin) is a medullary extension of the renal cortex in between the renal pyramids. It allows the cortex to be better anchored.
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Latin}}} 
Official status
Official language of: Vatican City
Used for official purposes, but not spoken in everyday speech
Regulated by: Opus Fundatum Latinitas
Roman Catholic Church
Language codes
ISO 639-1: la
ISO 639-2: lat
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The kidneys are organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. The medical field that studies the kidneys and diseases of the kidney is called nephrology[1].
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The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of descending aorta (of the thorax).

Path

It begins at the level of the diaphragm, crossing it via the aortic hiatus at the vertebral level of T12.
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Each renal artery gives off some small inferior suprarenal branches to the suprarenal gland, the ureter, and the surrounding cellular tissue and muscles.

External links

  • SUNY Figs 40:02-09 - "The suprarental glands. Blood supply to the suprarenal glands.

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The segmental arteries are branches of the renal arteries.

There are five named segmental arteries:[1]
  • superior [2]
  • inferior [3]
  • anterior
  • anterior superior [4]

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The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.

It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins".
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Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) is a huge controlled vocabulary (or metadata system) for the purpose of indexing journal articles and books in the life sciences. Created and updated by the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), it is used by the MEDLINE/PubMed
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Elsevier, the world's largest publisher of medical and scientific literature, forms part of the Reed Elsevier group. Based in Amsterdam, the company has substantial operations in the UK, USA and elsewhere.
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The abdominal aorta is the largest artery in the abdominal cavity. As part of the aorta, it is a direct continuation of descending aorta (of the thorax).

Path

It begins at the level of the diaphragm, crossing it via the aortic hiatus at the vertebral level of T12.
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In human anatomy, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) arises from the anterior surface of the abdominal aorta, just inferior to the origin of the celiac trunk, and supplies the intestine from the lower part of the duodenum to the left colic flexure and the pancreas.
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The kidneys are organs that filter wastes (such as urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. The medical field that studies the kidneys and diseases of the kidney is called nephrology[1].
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Blood is a specialized biological fluid consisting of red blood cells (also called RBCs or erythrocytes), white blood cells (also called leukocytes) and platelets (also called thrombocytes) suspended in a complex fluid medium known as blood plasma.
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The crura of the diaphragm (singular=crus) are tendinous structures that extend downward from the diaphragm to attach to the vertebral column.

Structure

At their origins the crura
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The inferior vena cava (or IVC) is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the heart.

It is posterior to the abdominal cavity and runs along side of the vertebral column on its right side (i.e. it is a retroperitoneal structure).
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The inferior vena cava (or IVC) is the large vein that carries de-oxygenated blood from the lower half of the body into the heart.

It is posterior to the abdominal cavity and runs along side of the vertebral column on its right side (i.e. it is a retroperitoneal structure).
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The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They connect the kidney to the inferior vena cava.

It is usually singular to each kidney, except in the condition "multiple renal veins".
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