Blood and Nerve Supply to the Kidney

The segmental arteries branch out, supplying different kidney regions.

These segmental arteries branch off and pass through the renal columns as interlobar arteries.

At the base of the renal pyramid, the interlobar arteries become arcuate arteries.

These arcuate arteries split into the interlobular arteries, which extend into the renal cortex, forming afferent arterioles supplying blood to the glomeruli.

The glomerular capillaries reconverge into efferent arterioles, which carry blood away from the glomeruli.

These efferent arterioles form peritubular capillaries, which reconverge into the interlobular veins.

The interlobular veins drain blood sequentially into the arcuate, interlobar, and renal veins. The renal veins drain into the inferior vena cava.

The kidneys receive neuronal supply from the renal plexus, which is part of the sympathetic division of the autonomic nervous system.

They originate from the renal ganglia and travel through the renal plexus into the kidneys.

They regulate blood flow through the kidney by causing vasodilation or vasoconstriction of the renal arterioles.