Renal circulation

The circulation to and from the kidneys.

• 1. Renal pyramid
• 2. Interlobular artery
• 3. Renal artery
• 4. Renal vein
• 5. Renal hilum
• 6. Renal pelvis
• 7. Ureter
• 8. Minor calyx
• 9. Renal capsule
• 10. Inferior renal capsule
• 11. Superior renal capsule
• 12. Interlobular vein
• 13. Cortical nephron (in cortex)
• 14. Minor calyx
• 15. Major calyx
• 16. Renal papilla
• 17. Renal column

The renal circulation receives around 20% of the cardiac output. It branches from the abdominal aorta and returns blood to the ascending vena cava. It is the blood supply to the kidney, and contains many specialized blood vessels.

Circulation

The table below shows the path that blood takes when it travels through the glomerulus, traveling "down" the arteries, and "up" the veins. However, this model is greatly simplified for clarity and symmetry. Some of the other paths and complications are described at the bottom of the table.

INTERLOBAR ARTERY & VEIN (not to be confused with interlobular) are between 2 renal lobes, also known as the renal column (cortex region between two pyramids).

Arteries (down)	Veins (up)
Abdominal aorta	Vena cava
Renal artery (Note 1)	Renal vein
Segmental arteries (Note 2)	-
Lobar arteries	-
Interlobar artery	Interlobar vein
Arcuate arteries	Arcuate vein
Interlobular artery (Note 3)	Interlobular vein
Afferent arterioles	Efferent arterioles (Note 4)
Glomerulus	Glomerulus

• Note 1: The renal artery also provides a branch to the inferior suprarenal artery to supply the adrenal gland.
• Note 2: Each renal artery partitions into an anterior and posterior branch. The anterior branch further divides into the superior (apical), anterosuperior, anteroinferior and inferior segmental arteries. The posterior branch continues as the posterior segmental artery.
• Note 3: Also called the cortical radiate arteries. The interlobular artery also supplies to the stellate veins.
• Note 4: The efferent arterioles don't directly drain into the interlobular vein, but rather they go to the peritubular capillaries first. The efferent arterioles of the juxtamedullary nephron drain into the vasa recta.

External links

• Training at wisc-online.com