Histological differentiation of human fetal kidney

Introduction: The description of development of human kidney given in various textbooks doesn’t include detail microscopic appearance of kidney at various fetal ages. So an attempt was made in this study to gather information on this topic. Material and methods: The present study was carried out on 15 human fetuses of known gestational age (GA). The sections of kidney were processed and were stained using Hematoxylin and Eosin. Results: At 12th week of GA various stages of developing glomeruli were observed in the substance of the kidneys. In the cortex, various cut sections of the tubules were observed without any differentiation as proximal (PCT) and distal tubules (DCT). The second trimester section showed well differentiated the PCT and DCT by 16th week. Distinct brush border was observed in PCT by the 16th week. Immature duct system was observed in the medulla. The nephrogenic zone was appreciated till 36 weeks. By 28th week the sections of DCT were observed adjacent to the renal corpuscles indicating the developing juxtaglomerular apparatus. Conclusion: As it is essential to know the developmental morphology of kidney, the present study explains every component of it in detail.