Olivia, when you look closely at the gross structure of the kidney, you can see the bean shaped organ nestled within a mass of fat and surrounded by a fibrous connective tissue. As you examine a longitudinal section, three distinct areas become visible to the naked eye: the outer fibrous capsule, renal cortex, and inner renal medulla. The cortex and medulla are richly supplied with blood vessels and packed with excretory tubules, with the cortex appearing granulated due to the presence of...