Kidney Anatomy
Cortex (with columns of Bertin) over medullary pyramids draining into calices, and an end-artery vasculature (segmental → interlobar → arcuate → interlobular) that makes Brödel's line the safe access plane.
The big picture
Lie on the psoas, obliquely; right kidney lower than left (liver). Outer cortex (with columns of Bertin dipping between pyramids) + medulla (pyramids → papillae → minor calices). Functional unit = nephron (glomerulus → proximal tubule → loop of Henle → distal tubule → collecting duct → papilla → minor calyx).
Renal arteries are end arteries; Brödel's line ≈ 1 cm from the convex border is the relatively bloodless access plane.
Mechanism pathway
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The kidney — coronal cross-section
Board traps
Renal arteries are end arteries; Brödel's line ≈ 1 cm from the convex border.
Branching order: segmental → interlobar (columns of Bertin) → arcuate (over pyramid bases) → interlobular → afferent → glomerulus.