National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
  National Institutes of Health
NIAID Home Health & Science Research Funding Research News & Events Labs at NIAID About NIAID

Labs at NIAID
 Info about NIAID Labs
 Find Key Lab Scientists
 Training in NIAID Labs


Comparative Medicine
 About CMB
 Veterinarians
 Animal Study Proposals
 Infectious Disease Pathogenesis
  Mouse Necropsy
   Necropsy Sheet
   Instruments and Fixatives
   Necropsy Terms
   1) Starter Kit
   2) First Incision
   3) Lymph Nodes, Mammary Glands
   4) Abdominal Cavity
   5) Urogenital System
   6) Intestines, Stomach, Spleen, Pancreas
   7) Liver 1
   8) Liver 2
   9) Kidneys
   10) Lungs
   11) Heart
   12) Brain
   References
  Veterinary Pathology


Comparative Medicine Branch

Mouse Necropsy

Step 9: The Kidneys

  1. Adrenal Glands
    Kidneys illustration
  2. Left Kidney
  3. Right Kidney
  4. Renal Pelvis
  5. Abdominal Aorta
  6. Caudal Vena Cava
  7. Ureters 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Kidneys

The kidneys are located on the dorsal wall of the abdominal cavity, held securely in place by the tough capsules that surround them. The adrenals are located anterior to them. If you are interested in the ureters, excise the entire system, including the surrounding fat where the ureters are hiding, and fix it in situ. If the uterers are not your objective, simply remove the kidney and adrenal together. Being careful not to gouge the kidney, slide the tips of your scissors underneath the clear, thin layer of the capsule near the renal pelvis and slip it off. The cortex of the kidney is firmly granular or "dotted" looking. It should have a rich, brownish red color and be firm in consistency. Place it in fixative after examination. To be on the safe side, take both kidneys, in case you damage the first one.

Adrenals

The adrenal ideally should be attached to the removed capsule. It might be a good idea to keep the capsule and the adrenal attached to the kidney at the hilis for a few reasons. First, the histology people will be less likely to write off the adrenal as "junk" if it is associated with the kidney visually. Second, in the surrounding fat excised with the kidney lie the renal nodes, which you might want to examine. A quick note: the male adrenal is larger than that of the female.

back to top

previous link 8) Liver 2 | Index | 10) Lungs next link