renal system

Introduction
Human excretory organs
- The kidneys
  - General description and location
  - Renal vessels and nerves
  - Internal configuration
  - Minute structure
  - Intrarenal network of blood vessels
    - Arteries and arterioles
    - Veins and venules
    - Lymphatic network
- The ureters
  - General characteristics
  - Structure of the ureteric wall
- The urinary bladder
  - General description
  - Blood and nerve supplies
  - Structure of the bladder wall
- The urethra
  - General description
  - Structure of urethral wall
Human excretion
- General function of the kidney
  - Regulatory functions
  - Nonexcretory functions
- Renal blood circulation
  - Intrarenal blood pressures
  - Factors that affect renal flow
  - Glomerular pressure
- Formation and composition of urine
  - Glomerular filtration
  - Tubule function
    - Reabsorption from the proximal tubule
    - Reabsorption from the loop of Henle
    - Reabsorption from the distal convoluted tubule
  - The concentration of urine
  - Tubular secretion
  - Regulation of acid-base balance
  - Volume and composition
- Urine collection and emission
  - The bladder
  - Bladder function in micturition
  - Micturition
- Tests of renal function
  - Quantitative tests
  - Radiological and other imaging investigations
  - Renal biopsy
- The role of hormones in renal function
- Biological considerations

References & Edit History Related Topics

Images

human body systems interactive

Diagram of the female renal system showing kidneys, adrenal glands, and urinary tract organs in their anatomical positions, with labels for major structures including blood vessels, bladder, and uterus.

Medical illustration of the male renal system in situ, showing kidneys, adrenal glands, renal arteries and veins, ureters, bladder, prostate gland, and urethra within the torso, with labeled anatomical structures.

Illustration of a kidney in cross section showing blood vessels entering and exiting, urine formation, and a detailed callout of a nephron where blood is filtered and urine is produced.

Medical illustration showing a cross section of the right kidney, with labeled parts including the cortex, medulla, renal artery and vein, calyces, renal pelvis, ureter, and associated blood vessels.

Diagram showing the location of the adrenal glands above the kidneys in the human body, with a detailed cross-section labeling the capsule, adrenal cortex with its three zones (zona glomerulosa, zona fasciculata, zona reticularis), and the adrenal medulla.

Diagram of the human excretory system showing the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, with their anatomical positions highlighted inside a human silhouette.

At a Glance

default image

urinary system summary

Related Questions

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

renal system

anatomy

Written by

David Le VayAll

Fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

renal system, in humans, organ system that includes the kidneys, where urine is produced, and the ureters, bladder, and urethra for the passage, storage, and voiding of urine. In many respects the human excretory, or urinary, system resembles those of other mammalian species, but it has its own unique structural and functional characteristics. The terms excretory and urinary emphasize the elimination function of the system. The kidneys, however, both secrete and actively retain within the...

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