Renal cortex

Renalcortex (number 2)

Anatomy[edit | edit source]

The cortex of the kidney is lighter with a slight brown tinge, granular, has two layers:

outer layer – forms the surface layer of the kidney parenchyma (0.5–1 cm);
inner layer – extends deeper into the parenchyma, is placed between pyramides renales in the form of columns – columnae renales.

Malpighian body– afferent and efferent arteries – fenestrated endothelium, continuous lamina basalis
Bowman's capsule
- Parietal layer – single-layered flat epithelium.
- Visceral layer – podocytes placed on capillaries, pedicles and pedicules.
Proximal tubule – it has pars contorta and pars recta.
- Lateral interdigitation – indistinguishable boundaries between cells;
- single-layer cubic epithelium with microvilli.
Distal tubule – it has pars contorta and pars recta
- Lateral interdigitation – indistinguishable borders between cells;
- single-layer cubic epithelium with minimal amount of microvilli;
- juxtaglomerular apparatus and macula densa (cylindrical) cells.

	A – Malpighian body B – Proximal tubule C – Distal tubule D – Juxtaglomerular apparatus 1. Lamina basalis 2. Bowman's capsule – parietal layer 3. Bowman's capsule – visceral layer 3a. Pedicules (podocytes) 3b. Podocytes 4. Intercapsular space 5a. Mesangium – inside the glomerule 5b. Mesangium – outside the glomerule 6. Juxtaglomerular cells 7. Macula densa 8. Smooth muscle cells 9. Afferens artery 10. Ball of capillaries 11. Efferent artery

ČIHÁK, Radomír – GRIM, Miloš. Anatomie. 2. upr. a dopl edition. Praha : Grada Publishing, 2002. 470 pp. vol. 2. ISBN 80-247-0143-X.