kid'ney

A gland for the secretion of urine, situated one in each loin, at the side of the vertebral column at the back part of the abdominal cavity behind the peritoneum. They are opposite the last thoracic and first two or three lumbar vertebrae, each being in contact with the 12th rib. They are supported by their^ ve els and surrounding connective ti ue. In man they are about 4 inches long, zy2 inches broad, and 1^2 inch thick. The right is a little lower than the left, the latter being longer and thinner. amyloid k. See lardaceous k. arteriosclerotic contracted k. That form of contracted k. in which sclerosis of the renal arteries and their branches, with resulting thickening of the intima of the ve els and obliteration of their lumen, produces compre ion of the glomeruli, and chronic interstitial fibrosis. cirrhotic k. See granular k. contracted k. The small k. seen in chronic interstitial or diffuse nephritis. cystic k. A k. that has undergone cystic degeneration; itmay be congenital, embolic contracted k. That form of contracted k. in which embolic infarction of the renal arterioles produces degeneration of the renal ti ue, and hyperplasia of the fibrous ti ues results in irregular contraction, fatty k. A k. affected with fatty infiltration or degeneration of the tubular, glomerular, or capsular epithelium, and sometimes of the vascular connective ti ue, floating k. One which is loosened and displaced, gouty k. A k. in which there is necrosis of the renal connective ti ue in consequence of uratic deposit, granular k. A slow form of chronic nephritis, often a ociated with an arthritic diathesis, in which the k. diminishes in size, and is of a red color, hard, fibrous, and granular in texture.