What is the function of the cortex in the kidney?

What is the function of the cortex in the kidney?

Renal Cortex The cortex provides a space for arterioles and venules from the renal artery and vein, as well as the glomerular capillaries, to perfuse the nephrons of the kidney. Erythropotein, a hormone necessary for the synthesis of new red blood cells, is also produced in the renal cortex.

What does the cortex in a kidney consist of?

Mammalian kidneys have a somewhat granular outer section (the cortex), containing the glomeruli and convoluted tubules, and a smooth, somewhat striated inner section (the medulla), containing the loops of Henle and the collecting tubules.

What is the cortex of the kidney quizlet?

The renal cortex is the outer portion of the kidney between the renal capsule and the renal medulla. In the adult, it forms a continuous smooth outer zone with a number of projections (cortical columns) that extend down between the pyramids. The renal medulla is the innermost part of the kidney.

How many cortex does the kidney have?

The third and innermost layer is the renal capsule. Internally, the kidney has three regions—an outer cortex, a medulla in the middle, and the renal pelvis in the region called the hilum of the kidney.

What is the main function of the cortex?

KEY POINTS The cerebral cortex, the largest part of the brain, is the ultimate control and information-processing center in the brain. The cerebral cortex is responsible for many higher-order brain functions such as sensation, perception, memory, association, thought, and voluntary physical action.

Where is the cortex in the kidney?

The renal cortex is located between the renal medulla and the renal capsule. The renal capsule is defined as the layer that surrounds the kidneys with tough fibrous tissue. The capsule is covered in a connective fatty tissue.

What is the major Calyx quizlet?

superficial layer of the kidney. a cup shaped cavity at the base of the real papilla, which drains urine from the renal papillae into the major calyxes. major calyx. the cavity formed by the convergence of several minor calyces which drain urine from the minor calyces into the renal pelvis.

What is cortex in human body?

In anatomy and zoology, the cortex (plural cortices) is the outermost (or superficial) layer of an organ. Organs with well-defined cortical layers include kidneys, adrenal glands, ovaries, the thymus, and portions of the brain, including the cerebral cortex, the best-known of all cortices.

What does cortex mean in medical terms?

Medical Definition of cortex 1a : the outer or superficial part of an organ or body structure (as the kidney, adrenal gland, or a hair) especially : cerebral cortex.

What is found only in the renal cortex?

Renal Cortex refers to the part of the kidney that contains the glomeruli and the proximal and distal convoluted tubules. It is covered by the renal fascia and the renal capsule. Since renal cortex contains structures of the nephrons, it is considered as a granular tissue. This smooth, continuous layer of the kidney filters blood.

What is the normal renal cortex measurement?

The normal adult kidney measures approximately 13 cm in length and 4-6 cm in width. The thickness of the renal cortex can be 12 mm. The renal pelvis measures about 4 cm in length.

What is the internal anatomy of the kidney?

Kidney Anatomy Internal. The kidney is composed of an inner medulla and an outer cortex surrounded by a tough fibrous capsule. The medulla is composed of a series of conical masses called the renal pyramids. The apex of these pyramids form a papilla which projects into the lumen of the minor calyces.

What does the renal cortex do?

The renal cortex is basically the secondary layer of the kidneys in humans and most other mammals. It tends to be thicker than most of the organ’s inner tissues, and in many ways serves to protect the organ and keep it insulated. The cortex contains mostly nephrons, which are the basic functional units of the kidneys,…