MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: The kidneys are located on either side of the spinal column in the posterior abdominal cavity behind the peritoneum in the retroperitoneal space. The functions of each kidney include: filtration of metabolic wastes, fluids, and electrolytes from the blood during urine production, stimulation of red blood cell production, and regulation of blood pressure. The medullary pyramid and outer cortex compose the renal lobe, the structural unit of the kidney. Branches of the renal artery supply each renal lobe. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron, composed of the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle is where initial blood filtration occurs. It consists of a spherical network of capillaries called the glomerulus enclosed by a cup-shaped structure called Bowman's capsule. The size difference between the afferent arteriole and the efferent arteriole of the glomerulus creates the pressure that forces glomerular filtrate into Bowman's...
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