Summary of Filed Health Plans & Rate Levels as of 10/31/14. The Health Insurance Reform Information Center is a forum for information on the recent national health insurance reform and its effects on Illinois. The Department will post fact sheets, legislation, and other useful material as it becomes available. Please check back routinely for updates.
The internal structure of the kidney is divided into two main areas... a light outer area called the renal cortex, and a darker inner area called the renal medulla. Within the medulla there are eight (8) or more cone-shaped sections known as renal pyramids.
The areas between the pyramids are called renal columns. The kidneys are regulatory organs which filter the blood to remove waste products, salts and water which are then secreted from the kidneys as urine. The main functional unit of the kidney is the nephron, and there are over a million nephrons in each kidney.he areas between the pyramids are called renal columns. The kidneys are regulatory organs which filter the blood to remove waste products, salts and water which are then secreted from the kidneys as urine. The main functional unit of the kidney is the nephron, and there are over a million nephrons in each kidney.