Final answer:
The medulla is a region of the kidney that processes cranial nerve information and can vary in its characteristics. The cortex is the lighter outer region of the kidney that contains renal corpuscles and convoluted tubules.
Step-by-step explanation:
The medulla is a region of the kidney that is continuous with the white matter of the spinal cord and is responsible for processing cranial nerve information. It can be continuous, discontinuous, fragmentary, or even absent. The diameter of the medulla is a useful characteristic in the identification and comparison process.
The cortex, on the other hand, is the outer region of the kidney that appears lighter in color compared to the rest of the kidney. It contains the renal corpuscles, as well as the proximal and distal convoluted tubules. Some nephrons in the cortex have a short loop of Henle that does not extend into the medulla, while others have long loops of Henle that do extend into the medulla.