Renal cortex

{{Short description|Outer part of the kidney}}

{{Other uses|Cortex (disambiguation)}}

{{Infobox anatomy

| Name = Renal cortex

| Latin = cortex renalis

| Image = Blausen_0592_KidneyAnatomy_01.png

| Caption = Kidney anatomy, with renal cortex labeled at top.

| Image2 = Illu kidney.jpg

| Caption2 = {{div col|style=text-align:left; font-size:smaller|colwidth=30em}}{{ubl|1: Parenchyma | 2: Cortex | 3: Medulla | 4: Perirenal fat | 5: Capsule | 6: Ureter | 7: Pelvis of kidney | 8: Renal artery and Renal vein | 9: Hilus | 10: Calyx}}{{div col end}}

| System = Urinary system

| Precursor =

}}

The renal cortex is the outer portion of the kidney between the renal capsule and the renal medulla.{{Cite journal |last1=Kriz |first1=W |last2=Bankir |first2=L |date=1988 |title=A standard nomenclature for structures of the kidney |journal=Kidney International |language=en |volume=33 |issue=1 |pages=1–7 |doi=10.1038/ki.1988.1|pmid=3352156 |doi-access=free }} In the adult, it forms a continuous smooth outer zone with a number of projections (cortical columns) that extend down between the pyramids. It contains the renal corpuscles and the renal tubules except for parts of the loop of Henle which descend into the renal medulla. It also contains blood vessels and cortical collecting ducts.

The renal cortex is the part of the kidney where ultrafiltration occurs.{{Cite journal |last1=Brenner |first1=Barry M. |last2=Troy |first2=Julia L. |last3=Daugharty |first3=Terrance M. |date=1971-08-01 |title=The Dynamics of Glomerular Ultrafiltration in the Rat |url=http://www.jci.org/articles/view/106667 |journal=Journal of Clinical Investigation |language=en |volume=50 |issue=8 |pages=1776–1780 |doi=10.1172/JCI106667 |issn=0021-9738 |pmc=442078 |pmid=5097578}} Erythropoietin is produced in the renal cortex.{{Cite journal |last1=Koury |first1=ST |last2=Koury |first2=MJ |last3=Bondurant |first3=MC |last4=Caro |first4=J |last5=Graber |first5=SE |date=1989-08-01 |title=Quantitation of erythropoietin-producing cells in kidneys of mice by in situ hybridization: correlation with hematocrit, renal erythropoietin mRNA, and serum erythropoietin concentration |journal=Blood |volume=74 |issue=2 |pages=645–651 |doi=10.1182/blood.V74.2.645.645 |pmid=2752138 |issn=0006-4971|doi-access=free }}