How do renal arteries branch inside a kidney?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Human kidneys — renal system Diagram showing the location of the kidneys in the abdominal cavity and their attachment to major arteries and veins.

The renal artery enters the kidney through an opening called the hilum, located at the organ's inner concavity.1

Once inside the hilum, the renal artery typically divides into two large branches. These branches subsequently subdivide into a series of smaller arteries that distribute blood to the nephrons, which serve as the kidney's functional units. This intricate branching system ensures that approximately one-quarter of the heart's total blood output is efficiently delivered to the kidneys for filtration and chemical stabilization.1