Ideas in this flowchart

• Kidney structure, protection, blood supply, and consequences of urinary-system failure
• The kidneys lie on either side of the spine in the retroperitoneal space behind the main body cavity containing the intestines.
• Muscle, fat, and the lower ribs protect the kidneys.
• Each kidney is roughly the size of a fist, and the male kidney is typically slightly larger.
• The kidneys are well vascularized.
• At rest, the kidneys receive about 25 percent of cardiac output.
• Figure 2.23 shows the kidneys from the back, including rib and fat protection.
• Failure of parts of the urinary system can produce effects ranging from inconvenient to fatal.
• Incontinence is an inconvenient effect of urinary-system failure.
• Loss of filtration and many other functions can be fatal.