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What is kidney?

The kidney is bean-shaped, has red-brown colour and elastic consistency. On its inner border lies the hilus with crossing vessels and protruding efferent urinary tract. The hilus continues in sinus renalis, which contains calyces and pelvis. The surface of the kidney is covered with a tight connective sheath. After incision the sheath can be peeled off, with the exception of the hilus, where it is bound tightly to the veins and to the pelvis.

The kidney is 10-13 cm long, 5-7 cm large and 2.5-4 cm thick. It weighs 120-170 g, but often more - e.g. in case of loss of one kidney the other enlarges to compensate the loss, often to twice its original mass.

Kidneys are situated in the retroperitoneal space at the level of vertebrae Th12 to L3, the hilus is situated at the body level L1.

The kidneys are covered with an adipose envelope, which from the anterior and posterior side is enveloped with a fibrous membrane (Gerot fascia).

The kidney is composed of the cortex and the medulla. The medulla is organized into conical structures, pyramids, which are oriented by their bases towards the kidney surface and by their apices towards the hilus. Each kidney contains 15-20 pyramids, which together with the corresponding part of the cortex form lobules. On the apices of the pyramids end the collecting ducts of the kidney.