Premium
Renal Anatomy of the Pigmy Hippopotamus ( Choeropsis liberiensis ): An Overview
Author(s) -
Maluf N. S. R.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
anatomia, histologia, embryologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.34
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1439-0264
pISSN - 0340-2096
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0264.1994.tb00468.x
Subject(s) - anatomy , cortex (anatomy) , hilum (anatomy) , major duodenal papilla , medulla , renal cortex , renal artery , biology , renal pelvis , kidney , curvatures of the stomach , stomach , endocrinology , neuroscience , biochemistry , urinary system
Summary The adult kidney of Choeropsis liberiensis is 74.8 % cortex and 22.9 % medulla. The neonatal cortex is relatively less. A single kidney has about 3 × 10 6 glomeruli. These form 5 % of renal mass in the adult but more so in neonates. The primary tubus maximus, TM 1 , follows the lateral curvature of the kidney. It gives off, toward the hilum, dorso‐ventrally paired secondary tubi maximi, TM 2 . The tubi are a single layer of high cuboidal epithelium from which terminal collecting ducts arise throughout the surrounding inner medulla. The cranial and caudal limbs of TM 1 , open at a diminutive pelvis which receives a small papilla in continuity with TM 1 . The medulla is continuous although variably distorted by folds of cortex at the lateral curvature of the kidney. The renal lobes project toward the medial border and consist of cortex, medulla and TM 2 . The lobar cortex is continuous with the common cortex of the lateral curvature. The kidney, although strongly lobed, has no infundibula or rencules. A main peripheral vein courses medial and parallel to TM. It is apparently a modified large arcuate vein and receives arcuate and interlobar tributaries. At the level of the papilla it joins the main renal vein. The arterial supply is mainly by interlobar arteries but there are also sizeable external perforator arteries which branch from the main renal artery and perforate the cortex of lobes about the hilum. The sourse of the arteries is illustrated.