The Vulcan kidney.

Abstract

One can often gain new insights into a topic when approaching it from a new angle. The paradigm example involves the insights into histology that can be gained from studying pathology. For example, a rare cell type in the pituitary suddenly becomes very easy to recognize once a whole field of them can be seen in a tumour. Similarly, one can gain insights by looking at species other than our own. In this article, Doug Waud, using the kidney in Vulcans, takes this latter theme one step further to provide useful insights into renal physiology and pharmacology.