School
of Nursing and Academic Division of Midwifery
RLO: The Anatomy of the Kidneys
Gross Anatomy
The urinary system of the human body consists of two kidneys, two ureters, the bladder and a single urethra.
The kidneys are located on the posterior wall of the abdomen at waist level. Each kidney is roughly 10 cm long and 5 cm wide, and is encased in a fibrous outer capsule called the renal capsule.
The main function of the kidneys is to control blood volume and composition. They do this by filtering the blood to remove waste products, salts and water. These are secreted in the form of urine.
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