URINARY TRACT ANATOMY ©David B. Fankhauser, Ph.D., Professor of Biology and Chemistry University of Cincinnati Clermont College, Batavia OH 45103
Overview of left urinary system	This page has been accessed  times since 13 May 2003.  20 May 1993, rvsd 27 Mar 94, 29 Mar 95, 26 Mar 96, 4 June 97, 14 May 98,  28 May 02, 26 Mar 03	Section through the kidney

I. URINARY TRACT

Identify the following organs of the urinary tract in the cat and illustrate their structures and positions in the rear abdominal wall:

See Gilbert: p. 54 - 55
 

	Right kidney, surrounded by adipose capsule of brown fat, covered by the peritoneum (it is a retroperitoneal organ). Here is a labeled view of a rear abdominal wall.
	Left kidney, surrounded by fat, left renal artery drains it into the inferior vena cava.  The left gonadal vein can be seen conecting to the left renal artery.
	Left kidney freed of fat and turned over to reveal the renal pelvis and the left renal artery.  The hilus is the point at which the artery, vein and ureter attach to the kidney.  Here is a labeled version of this image .
	Left kidney freed of fat, showing descending aorta, left renal artery, left renal vein, left gonadal vein and the  left ureter.
	Overview of the left urinary system including the kidney, the renal vein, theleft gonadal vein, the R and L ureters and the bladder.   Here is a labeled version of this image .
	Close up of the bladder with the R and L ureters, and the R and L vas deferens looping over the ureters.
	Pull the bladder towards the head, clear away the fat, and find the urethra.  The urinary trigone is the triangle formed by the two ureters and the urethra.
	Cut the kidney mid sagittally and note Here is a labeled view of the kidney cross section.

Other pictures: