Skip to main content
renal cortex

renal cortex

6.4
Outer part of a kidney that filters blood
  • noun
  • /ˈrɛnəl ˈkɔrtɛks/
  • Specialized
translation icon : corteza renal
  • In the renal cortex, glomeruli are essential for urine formation.

Examples

  • The renal cortex plays a vital role in filtering blood and removing waste products.

  • Microscopic examination showed inflammation in the renal cortex of the patient’s kidney.

  • Damage to the renal cortex can impair kidney function significantly.

  • The renal cortex plays a crucial role in filtering blood.

  • Damage to the renal cortex can impair kidney function significantly.

  • Microscopic examination showed inflammation in the renal cortex of the patient’s kidney.

  • The renal cortex plays a vital role in filtering blood and removing waste products.

Surface Forms

renal cortex singular

Morphology

renal + cortex

The phrase's meaning is directly compositional: 'renal' = related to the kidneys and 'cortex' = outer layer, so together they denote the kidney's outer region. Although medical, the construction is regular and mirrored across many languages, so a learner who knows both constituents would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Renal cortex comes from old words: renal means 'kidney' and cortex means 'bark' or outer layer. So the name gives a simple picture like bark around a tree, and it refers to the outer part of the 'kidney' where blood is filtered.