Kidney - renal medulla - plastic section (40x objective lens)

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This high magnification view of the renal medulla shows a cross sections of:

 

(1) collecting ducts. Note that the cuboidal cells that form the wall have have rounded apical surfaces (arrow) and that the boundaries between the adjacent cells are often visible.

(2) thin segments of the loops of Henle. The walls are composed of a simple squamous epithelium with relatively thick cells with oval nuclei. The nuclei often bulge into the lumen of the tubule.

(3) straight capillaries (vasa recta) of the medullary plexus of capillaries. The walls are composed of a simple squamous epithelium with relatively thin cells with flattened nuclei. The nuclei often bulge into the lumen of the capillary.

Stain = H&E.

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