Which structure is the renal pelvis?

• A. Renal pelvis
• B. Ureter
• C. Urethra
• D. Renal pyramids

Answer: (A)

The renal pelvis is the funnel-shaped collecting chamber inside the kidney where urine gathers from the major calyces before it enters the ureter. It sits in the renal sinus and serves as the transition point between the kidney’s collecting system and the ureter. This distinguishes it from the renal pyramids, which are medullary cones that drain into the calyces; from the ureter, which is the tube that carries urine away from the kidney; and from the urethra, which conveys urine out of the body. So the renal pelvis is the funnel-shaped expansion of the ureter within the kidney that collects urine from the calyces.