ABSTRACT
Kidneys serve as an important metabolic organ that eliminates nitrogenous waste products, maintains uid and electrolyte balance, and performs important hormonal functions, such as synthesis of 1-25-dihydroxy vitamin D and erythropoietin. Being paired organs, kidneys have also been used in living organ donation for renal replacement therapy in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Developmental aspects of kidney have received considerable attention recently and much has now been deciphered about the control of renal and ureteric development. It is also becoming increasingly clear that nephron endowment at birth is an important fetal factor that may determine the development of hypertension and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in adults. is chapter discusses the clinically relevant anatomy and embryogenesis of the kidneys and the urinary tract.
