Pig Kidney Dissection

Lab Investigation

Mr. Kaindl
Biology 20/30 IB
Period 4
By
Marcus Louie

November 25, 2019

Figures:
Figure 1.1: A Labeled, External Anterior View of a Pig Kidney
Figure 1.2: A Labeled, Internal View of a Coronal Cross Section of a Pig Kidney

Tables:
Table 1.1: The function of the structures found in the kidney

Structure Function
Renal cortex The renal cortex houses arterioles and
venules that branch off from the renal artery
and vein allowing for the circulation of blood
across the kidney
Renal medulla The renal medulla contains smaller structures
namely nephrons which are responsible to
for the filtration of the blood
Renal capsule The renal capsule is a membrane that
surrounds the kidney and serves to hold the
kidney together and protect the kidney from
damage
Minor calyx The minor calyces collect waste products
from the renal medulla, funneling them all
into the major calyces
 Major calyx The major calyces collect waste products
from the minor calyces and carries them to
the ureter where it follows the urinary
system
Renal column The renal columns act to separate the renal
pyramids and like the renal cortex houses
arterioles and venules that allow for the
circulation of blood in the kidney
Renal pyramid The renal pyramids transport urine that is
secreted in the nephrons to the calyces.
Young, B. et al (2014) found that the renal
medulla is made up of 10 – 18 renal pyramid
sub divisions.
Ureter The ureter carries waste products from the
kidney and carries it to the next structure in
the urinary system, the bladders. Like
Standring, S. et al (2015) states urine,
produced by the kidneys, travels along the
ureters to the bladder.
Renal pelvis The renal pelvis serves to collect waste
products from the kidney and transport them
to be excreted from the body
Renal artery The renal artery carries blood away from the
heart into the kidneys. Saldarriga, B. et al
(2008) found that due to the position of the
aorta and the inferior vena cava the right
renal artery is generally longer than that of
the left. Fortunately this does not impede
function of the kidney.
Renal vein The renal vein carries blood to the
heart and away from the kidneys

Analysis:
Q1 What are the two primary functions of the urinary system?
The two main functions of the kidney is to regulate water balance and to filter the blood before it
returns to the heart.
Q2 What structure allows urine to move from the kidneys to the urinary bladder?
The ureter connects the kidney to the urinary bladder therefore allowing the flow of urine from
the kidney to the urinary bladder.
Q3 Differentiate between the renal column and the renal pyramid.
The renal column is the separation between renal pyramids and appears similar to the renal
cortex acting as an extension of it. While renal pyramids are visually striated due to their
function of transportation of urine
Q4 Differentiate between the minor and major calyx.
Major calyces are larger in size and fewer in number when compared to the minor calyces
which are the smaller extensions to the major calyces.

Bibliography:

Standring, S. (2015). Gray's anatomy : the anatomical basis of clinical practice (41st ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.

Retrieved December 28, 2019 from

https://www.elsevier.com/books/grays-anatomy/standring/978-0-7020-5230-9

Young, B., O’Dowd, G., Woodford., P. (2014) Wheater’s Functional Histology (6 ed.).
Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone.
Retrieved December 28, 2019 from
https://www.elsevier.com/books/wheaters-functional-histology/young/978-0-7020-4747-3

Saldarriaga, B., Pinto, S., Ballesteros, L. (2008) "Morphological Expression of the Renal Artery: A
Direct Anatomical Study in a Colombian Half-caste Population". International Journal of
Morphology. Temuco, Chile: Universidad de La Frontera, Facultad de Medicina
Retrieved December 28, 2019 from
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/251071070_Morphological_Expression_of_t
he_Renal_Artery_A_Direct_Anatomical_Study_in_a_Colombian_Half-caste_Population