Medullary ray (anatomy)
Encyclopedia
In anatomy, the medullary ray is the middle part of the cortical lobule or renal lobule
, consisting of a group of straight tubes to the collecting ducts.
Their name is potentially misleading -- the "medullary" refers to their destination, not their location. They are located only in the renal cortex
, and not in the renal medulla
.
Cortical lobule
A cortical lobule is a part of a renal lobe. It consists of the nephrons grouped around a single medullary ray, and draining into a single collecting duct....
, consisting of a group of straight tubes to the collecting ducts.
Their name is potentially misleading -- the "medullary" refers to their destination, not their location. They are located only in the renal cortex
Renal cortex
The renal cortex is the outer portion of the kidney between the renal capsule and the renal medulla. In the adult, it forms a continuous smooth outer zone with a number of projections that extend down between the pyramids. It contains the renal corpuscles and the renal tubules except for parts of...
, and not in the renal medulla
Renal medulla
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 arcuate arterioles. The arcuate arterioles each in turn branch into...
.