Abstract The kidneys are solid, ‘bean-shaped’ retroperitoneal organs located at vertebral levels T12 to L3. From inside to outside, the kidney is surrounded by the renal capsule, perirenal fat, renal…
Abstract The basic filtration unit of the kidney is the renal corpuscle, consisting of a glomerulus surrounded by a Bowman’s capsule. The high glomerular capillary hydrostatic pressure forces a fraction…
Abstract The liver is the largest solid organ in the body (the skin is overall the largest organ) and receives a large volume of blood. At rest, the liver receives…
Abstract The liver is responsible for a wide range of strategic biochemical functions, synthesising and eliminating a huge number of molecules for a variety of purposes. A healthy liver has…
Abstract Temporary storage of large meals – releasing ingested food slowly into the small intestine. Chapter 63 Stomach and Vomiting What are the functions of the stomach? The stomach has…
Abstract The gastrointestinal (GI) tract is a tube that extends from mouth to anus and is approximately 9 m in length. It consists of the mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine and…
Abstract The electrocardiogram (ECG) represents a summation of electrical activity in the heart, derived from extracellular electrode recordings obtained from the body surface. Although a detailed description of ECG analysis…
Abstract The primary function of the heart is ejection of blood into the vascular system. Individual cardiomyocytes are specialised in the generation of spontaneous activity (automaticity), transmission of the resulting…
Abstract A volume of 500–1000 mL of saliva is secreted by the parotid, submandibular and sublingual glands per day in response to the thought, smell, taste and presence of food…
Abstract Pain is defined by the International Association for the Study of Pain as ‘an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage or described in…
