The triangular-shaped divisions of the medulla of the kidney are called?

• A. Calyces
• B. Lobes
• C. Pyramids
• D. Columns

Answer: (C)

Renal pyramids are the triangular-shaped divisions of the medulla. Their broad bases face the cortex and their pointed tips, called papillae, project toward the renal pelvis. These pyramids house the structures that concentrate and conduct urine, such as the loops of Henle and collecting ducts, guiding urine down to the papilla and into the calyces. The tissue between pyramids forms the renal columns, which are extensions of cortex that separate the pyramids. In this context, the other terms refer to different renal structures: calyces are urine-collecting chambers, columns are the cortical tissue separating pyramids, and a lobe encompasses one pyramid plus its overlying cortex.