Kidney anatomy: A survey of historical illustrations and methods of depiction

Kidneys produce and transport urine using an extensive system of blood vessels and a series of tubular structures. Many of these anatomical structures are visible during dissection with the unaided eye or low-power magnification. In this paper we survey the variety of ways gross anatomy of the human kidney has been illustrated in past centuries. These examples demonstrate alternatives to depicting a frontal section of the kidney, a view that is commonly used in contemporary illustrations but provides limited information about the morphology and organization of internal kidney anatomy.