Circulation Through the Kidney

Arterial Supply - Renal Arteries

Branches from abdominal aorta

Arterial Supply - Segmental arteries

Branch from renal

Arterial Supply - Interlobar arteries

Ascend within renal columns toward cortex

Arterial Supply - Arcuate arteries

Branch and arch over the base of the pyramids

Arterial Supply - Interlobular

Projects into cortex and give rise to afferents arterioles

Urine formation - Afferent arterioles

Supply blood to glomerulus

Urine formation - Glomerulus

Filters blood, allows water, ions, glucose, and waste to pass into the nephron, while keeping blood cells and proteins in the bloodstream

Urine formation - Efferent arterioles

Exit the renal corpuscle

Urine formation - Peritubular capillaries

Forms a plexus around the proximal and distal tubules

Urine formation - Vasa recta

Specialized parts of peritubular capillaries that course into medulla along with loops of Henle, then back toward cortex, blood flows very slow through these capillaries

Venous drainage - Peritubular capillaries

Drains into interlobular (Cortical) veins and leads to Arcuates

Venous drainage - Interlobular veins

They collect blood from the capillaries around the nephrons and drain into the arcuate veins

Renal veins

Receive blood from all the smaller veins in the kidney

-Drains the filtered, deoxygenated blood into the inferior vena cava, sending it back to the heart

-Main exit for blood leaving the kidney