Concentration of urine occurs in the renal "medullary" zone. Based on its name, where is the medullary zone located in the kidney?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: The prompt asks where the renal medullary zone is located, given that urine concentration occurs there, and provides four possible anatomical options.
Option 1: 'glomerular capillaries' — These are primarily located in the renal cortex within the glomeruli and are not part of the medullary zone. This option misplaces the site of the medullary region by pointing to the cortex-based filtration units.
Option 2: 'inner marrow-like pyramids' — The renal medulla contains the renal pyramids, which extend from the inner cortex toward the inner part of the kidney. The term 'inner marrow-like pyramids' aligns with the medullary location where medullary collecting ducts concentrate urine, making this option consistent with the medullary zone.
Option 3: 'outer bark area' — This phrase refers to the renal cortex, sometimes described as the outer layer or bark. Since urine concentration happens in the medulla, assigning this option to the medullary zone would be incorrect.
Option 4: 'proximal tubules' — Proximal tubules are predominantly located in the cortex (and extend a bit into the outer medulla), but they are not the defining medullary region where the medullary concentration of urine is most prominent. Labeling them as the medullary zone would be misleading.
Analytical summary: The key evidence linking urine concentration to the medullary region is the presence of elongated collecting ducts and loops of Henle within the medulla, forming the pyramidal structures. Among the choices, only 'inner marrow-like pyramids' aptly describes the medullary zone. The other options point to cortical structures or regions not primarily associated with medullary urine concentration, leading to inaccurate localization.
Additional note: If you were to visualize the kidney, imagine a cortex surrounding the inner medullary pyramids; the medullary zone corresponds to that inner pyramidal region where the concentration gradient supports urine concentration.

hk_264_120258_248438 Chapter 12 Self Test: Urolgenital System

Concentration of urine occurs in the renal "medullary" zone. Based on its name, where is the medullary zone located in the kidney?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Question at position 28 The collecting ducts are continuous with the distal convoluted tubule but are not technically part of the ______.UreterNephronCalyxBladder

Question at position 2 Which of the following is the functional unit of the kidney?Renal pelvisMedullaCortexCollecting ductNephron

Which of the following parts of the kidney has a striped appearance

Which of the following is between the proximal and distal tubules?

Figure 25.1Using Figure 25.1, match the following:

The functional unit of the kidney is the

Match each number to the correct label: 1: 1 2: 2 3: 3 4: 4 5: 6 6: 7 7: 8 8: 9 9: 10 10: 11 11: 12

More Practical Tools for International Students

Exam Browser Assistant

Stylized Writing Assistant

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation Assistant

In-Class Translation Assistant

Class Notes Assistant

Quiz Search Assistant

Past Exam Questions by School

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler