Renal calyx (source code)

= Renal calyx

A <renal calyx> is a cup-like collecting passage within the <kidney> that receives <urine> leaving a <renal papilla>. A <minor calyx> lies around a papillary outlet; these passages join into a <major calyx>, which drains toward the <renal pelvis> and then the <ureter>. The calyx is therefore part of the outflow route, downstream of the <collecting duct system>, rather than a site where the <glomerulus> first filters <blood>.<Kidneys by the National Cancer Institute>[internal anatomy: minor/major calyces and renal-pelvis drainage]{ref}

The branching arrangement supplies a simple <mass balance>. Suppose three upstream <minor calyx> passages deliver steady <volumetric flow rates> of $0.2$, $0.3$ and $0.1\,\mathrm{mL/min}$ to one outlet. With no storage or side flow, that outlet carries $0.6\,\mathrm{mL/min}$. These illustrative values describe how branches combine; they are not normal human flow measurements.

A longitudinal anatomical section makes the distinction visible: locate the pointed <renal papilla> first, then the hollow receiving space around it. The projecting <tissue> and its receiving passage are adjacent structures with different roles.<Longitudinal section through Kidney by the Manipal Museum of Anatomy and Pathology>[specimenEXC002: papilla, minor calyx, major calyx and pelvis]{ref}