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.
In each kidney, there are one million of these structures, called nephrons. The nephron is the basic unit of the kidney. It's a long, thin tube that is closed at one end, has two twisted regions interspaced with a long hairpin loop, ends in a long straight portion and is surrounded by capillaries.ach part of the nephron has different types of cells with different properties -- this is important in understanding how the kidney regulates the composition of the blood.