Film: The Human Kidney; Vascular-Tubular Relationships

The following movie titled “The Human Kidney – Tubules, Blood Vessels and Vascular-Tubular Relations was made by Reiner BEEUWKES and Clifford BARGER at Harvard Medical School in 1975. 

Film Introduction by Lise Bankir (Inserm, Paris, France):

The mammalian kidney is an extraordinary complex structure because of its unique spatial organization in different zones that (almost) each nephron traverses along its course, and because of its highly elaborate vascular-tubular relationships. In this movie, Reiner Beeuwkes used Microfil silicone rubber to illustrates the vascular-tubular relationships in the human kidney. He first injected the arterial vasculature as a whole through the renal artery. Then, he micro-injected Microfil of a different color into single nephrons in order to follow their course in the midst of the surrounding capillaries and vasa recta within the cortex and medulla. He comments himself the different observations beautifully presented in his movie.

It is possible to watch the movie, either as one piece (19:31 min, below) or by separate segments: 

The Human Kidney 1. Introduction (5:14) –

The Human Kidney 2. Nephrons & Vessels (2:21) –

The Human Kidney 3: Vasculo-Tubular Relations (5:14) –

The Human Kidney 4: Different Nephron Lengths (5:02) –

The Human Kidney 5: End-Stage Renal Disease, General Conclusions (1:38) – 

Watch the entire film: 

Reiner Beeuwkes made another movie about the DOG kidney. Watch this other movie here.