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Art, Anatomy, and Wisdom of the Kidneys

Art Anatomy and Wisdom of the Kidneys 

March is NATIONAL KIDNEY MONTH and March 14 2016 is WORLD KIDNEY DAY – dedicated to my teachers Dr Edward Smith and the late Dr Harry Mellins and  …. so here goes.

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The Kidneys and Their Golden Adrenals

serve to preserve our precious water. The kidneys face each other (eye to eye) in the body as trusting life long partners. When the going gets tough for the one, the other is there to fill the void. How much more can one ask of a life long partner?

The Nephron –  The Little People and the Backbone of the Kidney

nephron, proximal tubule, Bowman's capsule, glomerulus, loop of Henle, arteriole, kidneys, renal, genitourinary tract, genitourinary system,bladder, urethra, Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MDFilter, Flow Concentrate

The story of urine production is the story of the complex physiology.  The diagram simplifies the steps in the production of urine involved in the production of urine using linear and wavy shapes and showing the connectivity and interdependence of the parts.  Blood (red) is filtered by the Bowman’s capsule(blue). The filtered plasma travels through a series of tubes (yellow) called proximal convolued tubule, loop of Henle, then distal convoluted tubule and with the magic of physiology enables water reabsorption and subsequent concentrated urine production. The urine is collected by collecting tubules, and transported via the calyces, renal pelvis and then ureters (orange) to the bladder (oval orange). The final pathway is out back to the environment via the urethra. The art is a combination of minimalism,  linearity, and spherism .

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Filter Flow and and Concentate 

Same story – different way of artistically portraying the structural and functional order of urine production

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Parts of the Kidney Using Labels

genitourinary tract, genitourinary system, kidneys, nephron, arteriole, glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubule, Bowman's capsule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubules, collecting tubules, papilla, calyx, calyces, fornix, infundibulum, pelvis, renal pelvis, ureter, anatomy, kidneys, kidney, renal, Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD

Fish Eye View of a Kidney Nephron 

is a sphere providing a view of the tissues making up the micro-tubular structure of the filtering system of the kidneys.  The connections between the tubular systems, arteries and veins, and the positioning of the loops of Henle are essential to the micro-function and macro-function of the kidney.  The style of spherism provides a sense of wholeness.

 kidneys, anatomy, physiology, renal,

An Ocean View of the Nephron

“Ocean View of a Kidney Nephron with Glomerulus Bowman’s Tubules Henle Arterioles and Venules at Sunset”  shows a an out of context depiction of the nephron.    The art piece has a surreal appearance with the sun at the bottom of the ocean and the tubules of the nephron with shapes reminiscent of Miro.  In addition there is a sense of spherism with the vascular system surrounding the nephron and the round shape of the sun. The water theme and the colors create a quiet and peaceful ambiance.

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Moods of the Kidney Nephron

“Moods of the Kidney Nephron with Glomerulus Bowman’s Tubules Henle Arterioles and Venules in All Colors” is collage of different colors of the nephron indicating different moods.  The art piece has a surreal appearance with a hint of Miro in the shapes of the structures.  The moods projected by the colors are mostly upbeat.

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Kidneys – Macro and Micro

“Kidneys- Macro and Micro” combines the histology of the kidney with its macroscopic image.  The nephron with the arteriole, glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, proximal and distal convoluted tubules, loop of Henle, and collecting ducts are shown in the their distribution in the cortex and medulla of the kidney.  The collecting ducts enter the papilla, then the calyx and reach the ureters via the infundibulum and renal pelvis.

 

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Kidneys Water to Water

“Water to Water, Dust to Dust – If you have to Pee, then You Must” is one of the captions that has been used to describe this image. 95% of urine is water and the” dust” is represented by organic and inorganic compounds.  These include urea, chloride, sodium, potassium, organic solutes including urea, creatinine, uric acid.  In addition there are trace amounts of enzymes, carbohydrates, hormones, fatty acids, pigments, and mucins.  The inorganic ions include sodium (Na+), potassium (K+), chloride (Cl), magnesium (Mg2+), calcium (Ca2+), ammonium (NH4+), sulfates (SO42-), and phosphates (e.g., PO43-).

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Kidneys Ureters and Bladder in Pink

Kidneys, Ureters, and Bladder in Pink” is abdominal X-ray of the abdomen after contrast injection and shows the kidneys, calyces, renal pelvis, ureters and urinary bladder.  The pink hue softens the classical black and white X-ray, but is in contrast to obvious blackened skeletal structures, including the lumbar spine, and pelvic bones. 

The Dancing Kidneys

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The Hora at the Royal Renal Wedding 

“The Kidney Hora at the Royal Renal Wedding” shows the bride and groom in the center of the first hora dance at their wedding. The dancing guests are derived from original CT angiograms showing the renal arteries and kidneys . The bride is derived from a nephrostogram (UPJ traumatic disruption) and the groom was created from a retrograde pyelogram.

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Dancing the Rock ‘N Roll

“Kidneys Doing the Rock and Roll with Arteries and Veins Holding Tight” is the venous phase of an MRI angiogram . The kidneys each in different party colors, with a background of pastel colors gives a feeling or mood of celebration and delight.  The way they are bonded with vein on vein, and artery on artery provides the sense of partners holding tight in a rock and roll dance at the festivity.

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Paso Doble

“Paso Doble of the Kidneys in the Autumn” shows a duet in the Fall.  It portrays the passion of  male and female in a fiery dance.  The image was derived from a CT urogram showing the kidneys, calyces, renal pelves, ureters and bladder.  The mature and mellow colors are reflected in the yellows and oranges but are also characteristic Spanish colors.

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Renal Arteries Doing the Rumba

“The Renal Arteries Doing the Rumba” shows two fashionable folks pairing in an elegant rumba .  The two images are derived from separate CT angiograms and shows a normal aorta with renal arteries in different projections. The dancer on the left has a sleek twist while the the dancer on the right is in upright position with open arms for his partner.

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The Renal Arteries Hip Hopping

“The Renal Arteries Doing the Hip Hop” shows two fashionable folks in a high spirited rippin hot wild Hip Hop dance.  The two images are derived from separate CT angiograms and shows the aging atherosclerotic aorta with the renal arteries in different projections. The dancer on the left has two stents at the origin of the renal arteries that look like part of the dress. The dancer on the right has a small infrarenal aortic aneurysm and an accessory renal artery on the right.  The elongated heads of the dancers give them a funky and wild look.

The Kidney Tree 

genitourinary system, genitourinary tract, kidney, arteries, veins, renal veins, renal arteries, normal, radiology, ultrasound, Doppler, power doppler, trees, branching, , Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD.,

Summertime in the Kidney Tree

This art piece shows a color Doppler of the kidney and outlines the renovascular tree .  The black and white has been replaced by a skyblue color, while the red and blue of the Doppler has been replaced by the green, blue and purples of summer color. The image has been given an impressionistic feel with a Seurat pointillism effect.  The result is an image that has a feel of Seurat’s “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte”

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Forest of Trees of the Renal Veins

A rendering of a Doppler ultrasound that has been reconstructed in 3D revealing the veins subtending the kidney.  Artistically the tree like structure of the veins has been rendered to create a forest of trees. The work gives a sense that the viewer is deep within the quiet of the forest, since only the base of the tree trunks dominate the view. The color provides a mood of peacefulness, and the magnification of the trunks provides a spirituality and humbles the viewer in the face of the magnificence and grandeur of nature.

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Forest of Trees on CT Urogram

The  CT scan has been reconstructed in the coronal plane revealing the bonds between the kidneys, calyces, pelves, ureters, and the bladder.  Artistically the tree like structure of the kidneys has been rendered to create a bunch of flowers or forest of trees depending on the perspective of the viewer.

Lessons from the Kidney Tree 

genitourinary system, genitourinary tract, kidney, arteries, veins, renal veins, renal arteries, normal, radiology, ultrasound, Doppler, power doppler, trees, branching, , Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD., winter, summer

Time for the Summer, Time for the Winter

This artpiece teaches us the unpredictability of fate and time .  The power Doppler ultrasound of the kidneys shows a variation of the renal vasculature.  On the left side, the vascular system is abundant, while on the right side, just the skeleton of the veins is demonstrated. The artist saw this image as an opportunity to explore concepts such as opposites, abundance, paucity, situational changes, time, and life lessons.  Relevant quotes include “Make Hay while the Sun Shines” and “There is a Time for Every  Every Season” .  Artistically a sharp line differentiates the left side from the right.  This abrupt change from the one season to the next can also infer unpredictable, and fateful situational change in  life.  In this case -there is a seasonal change, but the situation could just as easily reflect an abrupt change with the arrival of a devastating disease on the doorstep of life.   This image precedes a similar image showing the browns of the fall to the left and the winter to the right (below).

genitourinary system, genitourinary tract, kidney, arteries, veins, renal veins, renal arteries, normal, radiology, ultrasound, Doppler, power doppler, trees, branching, , Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD., winter, fall

Time for the Fall, Time for the Winter

This artpiece teaches us the same lesson of unpredictability of fate and time.  Rather than going from summer to winter as time changes, this image goes from the browns of fall to the black and white of winter

Lessons from the Kidneys

kidneys, anatomy, physiology, renal, calyces, pelvis, ureter, urine, Art in Anatomy, Ashley Davidoff MD

The Pair in Purple

The art piece shows the kidneys with calyces, infundibula, renal pelves, and ureters. The pair have a intimate position as they face each other.  They have the same purpose in life -to rid the body of waste and to preserve water.  There is a commitment by the kidneys to each other  The art represents a promise of the kidneys to stay together through thick and thin – till death do them part. Personal ego plays no part in their relationship.  There is a clarity and simplicity in the art piece at the surface with well known underlying extreme complexity of the physiology.

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Said the Kidney to the Heart… 

“You allow me to be myself, and do what I do best.  Without you I would be nothing!”  Said the heart to the kidneys “You rid us of waste and toxins, and you recycle our water. Without you, we all would be nothing!”  This profound conversation between the two organs contains the universal wisdom of biology and life .  We all need to do what we do best.  When we do this, the whole society of cells, organs, or people benefit.  The success of the one is the success of all.  The art piece shows the collaborative  form of the two kidneys resulting in a heart shaped tree.  The color of the trunk of golden urine brings the artistic element back to the reality of the kidney function and the gushing forth of urine.

 

And so ends the story of the Art,  Anatomy and Wisdom of the Kidneys

 

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Heart Symbolisms – Cultural Anatomy

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Heaven’s Heart 

Heart symbolisms abound in almost every culture.  The heart has been the center of almost every civilization, and assigned the epicentre of physical emotional and spiritual life. In ancient cultures the brain was mostly ignored and its many functions were attributed to the heart.  Despite new knowledge,  many of the ancient cultural concepts remain ingrained in the religion, the psyche, language, literature, poetry, and art of modern civilization.

In the West, the heart has evolved as a symbol of love, in both romantic and religious spheres.  In the East, it is seen as a symbol of wisdom and spirituality.

Heart Symbolisms in History

Ancient belief in almost every major culture put the heart and heart symbolisms at the centre of the body and soul . Life with all its emotions, thoughts and beliefs centered around the heart.

The iconic heart symbol was identified in the culture of the Cro Magnon hunters of Europe before the last Ice Age (10,000-8000 BCE). The inference of the icon to the hunters remains a mystery.

The ancient Egyptians (3500BC-1000 BC) believed the heart controlled the mind and soul, and that it was the center of morality. It was also considered the source of memory, emotions, and personality. They believed that God spoke to individuals through the heart.  There was concern among Egyptians that after death, that the heart might testify against the deceased; to prevent this, the ancient Egyptians often wrapped a heart scarab within the bandages to prevent the heart from speaking. They also preserved the heart during mummification so it would not be weighed during judgement after death.

The 5000 year old ancient Chinese culture believes that the heart is the root of the body, mind and soul of life.  Additionally it controls joy, reflects facial expression, and has important roles in the psyche.

The Jewish culture goes back 5000 years as well. The Old testament, originated around 1500 BC, and references to the heart abound . It is viewed as the organ of conscience, the origin of human action, imagination, determination, emotion, love, virtue and vice, good and evil, humility and pride. The  heart is revealed as the “inner” person:

“the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart” [Samuel 16:7].

Also among many other references

“it grieved him (God) at his heart.”  

Genesis 6:6 

The word “heart” appears 725 times in the  Old testament,

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Art in the Clouds, Love, and Prayer

Love and Prayer …… a cloud in the sky that says it all… or at least some of it…  The art piece is a collection of different modes of prayer with the same goal in mind ie to connect with a higher power. An idea of a central God may not necessarily fit with all religions,.  The central “God” therefore in this piece relates to a central focus of core beliefs.

In Hinduism, a culture that started around 1750 BCE, teaches that the heart is the center of life, action, emotion, consciousness, and the soul. The belief is that it nourishes the organs and supplies  energy for the formation of semen. Similar to Egyptian belief, it has importance in connecting heaven and earth.  It also is the organ where the love of God is experienced.

In ancient Greece, Aristotle, who lived in the 4th century B.C., described  the heart as the most important organ of the body. He considered it the seat of intelligence, motion, sensation and vitality.

In Christianity the heart reflects love, piety, and charity.  In the art of the middle ages and thereafter, the flaming heart reflects religious passionate fervor.  A flaming heart pierced by an arrow symbolizes faith despite trial, and repentance.  The New Testament started in the middle of the 1st century AD. Jesus repeatedly uses “pure of heart”

Paul prays

“that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith;” [Ephesians 3:3].

The word “heart” appears 105 times in the New Testament.

In the 1st millennium AD in ancient Mexico, the Teotihuacan culture believed that the the teyolia – the spiritual force of the heart, was responsible for life.

Galen who lived in the second century A. D., reaffirmed the Greek concepts of  the heart and promoted it as the organ most closely related to the soul.

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The Heart of Galen – Creator of the Vital Spirit

The AiA rendering shows the body according to Galen. Heat plays a central role in his theory.  He believed the heart was closely related to the soul and the source of the body’s heat . The liver, he taught was the primary source of the humors that controlled the body, and that the heart played a subordinate role.

At the beginning of the eleventh century, the Persian, Avicenna (980-1037 AD), authored  “The Book of Healing” that included medical and philosophical content.  Avicenna describes the heart as the source of life.

The Aztecs a nomadic tribe of northern Mexico, arrived in Mesoamerica in the 13th century and reached their pinnacle in the 15th century. They believed that the heart, or the yollotli, was the seat of life and the soul. Before cremation a green jewel was placed in the mouth of the dead person to represent the heart.  The culture also believed that human sacrifice for the offering of the heart to the Gods was required for ongoing prosperity.  It was a ritual performed at the highest level and required to  honour the gods.  Interestingly the yollotli was also a standard of measurement from the mid chest to the tip of the outstretched arm, equivalent to about 3 feet.

In summary the heart was central to the body mind of soul in so many cultures that it pervaded day to day life,  and therefore became central to the emotional aspects of most, if not all cultures. The innate need to represent these emotions in all facets of life including religion, philosophy, literature, poetry, music,  and art was a natural outcome.

The History of the Icon

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History of the Shape of the Heart Icon

 The collage reveals the symbols that contributed to the shape of the heart icon as we know it.  The shape of the heart became familiar to cultures who hunted or sacrificed animals (image top left).  The heart shaped leaves and seeds had parallel emotional connections.  The silphium seed for example (seen as golden heart shaped structure above) , was used by ancient Greeks for contraception and was reproduced on their coins.  Organs relating to the nitty gritty of romance including breasts, mons pubis, buttocks and scrotum have rotund shape that has parallels in the icon of the heart .  It is no wonder that the the shape gained popularity and application to the romantic elements of life.   
This art piece was adapted and modified from public domain photograph by Frank Eugene, taken 1898, called Adam and Eve and published in Camera Work no. 30,1910 

Art and the Heart – A History

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History of Heart Symbolism

The earliest use of the heart as a symbol of love is found in an art piece in the middle of the 13th century.  The collage depicts, romantic, religious, devotion, emotion, bravery, heraldry, mathematics, geometry, botany, card games, Valentine’s day, and finally and central in the art piece – the traditional emoticon.  

Literature and the Heart 

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Shakespeare and the Heart

From the late Middle Ages onward, literature and poetry romanticize the heart.  The above art piece used information  from the Oxford Shakespeare Concordance and identifies the frequency of the word heart and heart related words  (eg heartless and heartily).  More than 1100 instances were found. 

In the Divine Comedy,  Dante (1265-1321) refers to

Love, which is quickly kindled in the gentle heart,
seized this man for the fair form that was
taken from me, and the manner still hurts me.

Also…

Pride, Envy, and Avarice are
the three sparks that have set these hearts on fire.

Valentine’s day itself first became associated with romance during the time of Geoffrey Chaucer (1343–1400).

Literature in which the word “heart” appears in the title from the late 18th, 19th and early 20th century include among many; Heart of the Midlothian – Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), The Tell Tale Heart by  Edgar Allen Poe (1809-1849,  Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad (1857-1924), The Heart of Man by Erich Fromm (1900-1980),  Heartbreak House by George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950), The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (1917-1967), Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West by Dee Brown (1908 – 2002)

Poetry and the Heart 

The association of the heart and love abound in poetry.

Charles d’Orlean was a member of the French Royal family who lived in the 15th century. While captive in England he wrote love poems such as the one translated below

Because I cannot see you,
My heart complains day and night,
Lovely lady, peerless one of France,
And has charged me to write you
That he does not have all he desires
In the Prison of Discontent.

 by Charles d’Orlean and translated by David A. Fein 

Some famous poems of the the late 19th and early 20th century which include the word heart in the title; My Heart and I  by  Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861), If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking, Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), Never Give All The Heart, William Butler Yeats (1865-1939), Flame Heart Claude McKay (1889-1948),  The Trusting Heart, Dorithy Parker (1893 -1967),  I Carry Your Heart with Me – EE Cummings  (1894-1962),  The Laughing Heart Charles Bukowski (1920-1994)  

Music and the Heart

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Middle Ages Music, Heart and Love

AiA combined two art pieces that are in the public domain; Heart shaped musical score of Baude Cordier is an offering of love to a lady.  Christian and Muslim playing Lutes from the Canticles of Holy Mary during the reign of Alfonso X El Sabio (1221–1284) 

Recent Music and the Heart

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The Heart in Modern Song

Song ..another emotional outlet for the expression of love romance, and spirituality in culture. Between 1956 and 1978, 15 artists used the word “HEART” in the title of their song and each sold more than a million copy of their records.

Evolving Use of Heart Symbolisms

Valentines Day is a classical example of the persistent use of the symbol of the heart as a symbol of love and romance and it appears on all types of commercial products.  The icon of the heart for communication on the web, in emails, electronic messaging, graffiti, in all sorts of arts and crafts abound almost adnauseum.

We seem to be returning to the world of hieroglyphics – and the icon of the heart almost always sends a positive message – and so … that is always good!

References

Jager Eric  – Reading the Book of the heart from the Middle Ages to the twenty First Century; University of Chicago Press