The illustration shows the right kidney, adrenal gland, and ureter in front of a white background. On the bottom right the renal (malpighian) corpuscule, which is responsible for filtration. The kidneys are a bean-shaped pair of organs in the retroperitoneum. They influence the acid-base balance with their excretory function. They are located next to the vertebral column on the psoas muscle. The kidney is divided into medulla and cortex. The vitally important renal functions are the excretion of metabolic waste products and regulation of blood pressure. They also produce erythropoetin (EPO). The bottom right shows a Bowman`s capsule, where the primary urine is pressed out of the blood. The adrenal glands are a pair of endocrine glands. The cortex is divided into the glomerular, fascicular, and reticular zone. In each of these zones, some of the over 40 adrenocortical hormones are produced. The adrenal medulla produces catecholamines like adrenalin.
