Renal medulla - Wikipedia Renal medulla Renal medulla 1 : Parenchyma 2 : Cortex 3 : Medulla 4 : Perirenal fat 5 : Capsule 6 : Ureter 7 : Pelvis of kidney 8 : Renal artery and Renal vein 9 : Hilus 10 : Calyx Vertical section of kidney. ( Label `` medullary sub. '' visible near top. ) Details System Urinary system Identifiers Latin Medulla renalis MeSH A05. 810.453. 466 TA A08. 1.01. 020 FMA 74268 Anatomical terminology ( edit on Wikidata ) The renal medulla is the innermost part of the kidney. The renal medulla is split up into a number of sections, known as the renal pyramids. Blood enters into the kidney via the renal artery, which then splits up to form the interlobar arteries. The interlobar arteries each in turn branch into arcuate arteries, which in turn branch to form interlobular arteries, and these finally reach the glomeruli. At the glomerulus the blood reaches a highly disfavourable pressure gradient and a large exchange surface area, which forces the serum portion of the blood out of the vessel and into the renal tubules. Flow continues through the renal tubules, including the proximal tubule, the Loop of Henle, through the distal tubule and finally leaves the kidney by means of the collecting duct, leading to the renal pelvis, the dilated portion of the ureter. The renal medulla ( Latin renes medulla = kidney middle ) contains the structures of the nephrons responsible for maintaining the salt and water balance of the blood. These structures include the vasa rectae ( both spuria and vera ), the venulae rectae, the medullary capillary plexus, the loop of Henle, and the collecting tubule. The renal medulla is hypertonic to the filtrate in the nephron and aids in the reabsorption of water. Blood is filtered in the glomerulus by solute size. Ions such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium are easily filtered, as is glucose. Proteins are not passed through the glomerular filter because of their large size, and do not appear in the filtrate or urine unless a disease process has affected the glomerular capsule or the proximal and distal tubules of the nephron. Additional Images Renal medulla Renal medulla See also Medullipin Kokko and Rector Model, a theory to explain how a gradient is generated in the inner medulla References Jump up ^ Netter 's, plate 337 Anatomy of the urinary system Kidneys Layers Fascia Capsule Cortex column Medulla sinus pyramids medullary interstitium Lobe Cortical lobule Medullary ray Nephron Circulation Arteries Renal artery segmental interlobar arcuate interlobular afferent Veins Renal vein Peritubular capillaries Vasa recta arcuate interlobar efferent Nephron Renal corpuscle Glomerulus Bowman 's capsule Glomerular basement membrane Podocyte Filtration slits Mesangium Intraglomerular mesangial cell Renal tubule Proximal convoluted tubule Loop of Henle Descending Thin ascending Thick ascending Distal convoluted tubule Connecting tubule Collecting ducts Tubular fluid Renal papilla Minor calyx Major calyx Renal pelvis Juxtaglomerular apparatus Macula densa Juxtaglomerular cells Mesangium Extraglomerular mesangial cell Ureters Orifice of ureter Ureteropelvic junction Bladder Apex Uvula Neck Median umbilical ligament Muscular layer Trigone Detrusor Mucosa Submucosa Urethra Urethral sphincters External sphincter male female Internal sphincter This article related to the genitourinary system is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Renal_medulla&oldid=713271514 '' Categories : Kidney anatomy Genitourinary system stubs Hidden categories : Medicine infobox template using GraySubject or GrayPage All stub articles Talk About Wikipedia Català Eesti Español فارسی Italiano Português Edit links This page was last edited on 3 April 2016, at 01 : 06. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: where is the medulla located in the kidney
Answer: the innermost part