Final answer:
The renal artery goes through multiple divisions - segmental, interlobar, arcuate, cortical radiate, and finally into afferent arterioles - to provide blood supply to the nephrons in the kidney.
Step-by-step explanation:
The renal artery does not simply divide into two primary branches; rather, it undergoes multiple divisions to supply the kidney with blood. After the renal arteries branch off from the aorta, they enter the kidneys and further divide into segmental arteries. These segmental arteries split into interlobar arteries that travel through the renal columns. The interlobar arteries subsequently branch out into arcuate arteries, from which cortical radiate arteries radiate and then continue to branch into many afferent arterioles. These afferent arterioles enter the capillaries that supply the approximately 1.3 million nephrons in each kidney. Therefore, the answer to the question is that the renal artery divides into multiple branches rather than just a larger anterior and a smaller posterior artery, a single anterior, a single posterior, or just three primary branches.