5-2-7-the-kidney-under-the-microscope

The Kidney Under the Microscope

• Dissections are a vital part of scientific research

• They allow for the external and internal structures of organs to be examined so that theories can be made about how they function

• Some examples of labelled diagrams of the external and internal structures of the kidneys are shown below

The results of a kidney dissection showing the gross structure of the kidney, including the external structure and a vertical section showing the internal structure

The histology of the kidney and nephrons

• Histology (also known as microscopic anatomy or microanatomy) is the branch of biology that studies the microscopic anatomy of biological tissues

• The histology of the kidney and specifically the histology of the functional unit of the kidney, the nephron, can be studied by staining sections of kidney tissue and viewing them under a microscope

• These stained samples can then be examined for drawing and labelling to identify the different structures within the nephron

  • It is not possible to see complete nephrons in any section of stained kidney tissue because they are irregular structures that do not lie in any one plane within the kidney

• Some examples of labelled diagrams of stained kidney tissue are shown below – these photomicrograph diagrams show the parts of many adjacent nephrons

The histology of the nephron can be seen in stained sections of kidney tissue. Above: a photomicrograph (×200) of the cortex of the kidney (artistic impression).

The histology of the nephron can be seen in stained sections of kidney tissue. Above: a photomicrograph (×600) of the medulla of the kidney (artistic impression).