. Flashcards
What is the primary function of the urinary system?
Excretion of waste products from the body
Waste products include urea and uric acid.
List the main components of the urinary system.
- Kidneys
- Ureters
- Urinary bladder
- Urethra
What is the role of the kidneys in the urinary system?
Filter blood and produce urine.
What is the function of the ureters?
Carry waste from kidneys to the bladder.
What does the urinary bladder do?
Stores urine until excretion.
What is the purpose of the urethra?
Expels urine from the bladder.
Define homeostasis in the context of the urinary system.
Regulate water and electrolyte balance in the body.
What are nitrogenous wastes that the urinary system eliminates?
- Urea
- Uric acid
How does the urinary system regulate blood pH?
By controlling the concentration of hydrogen ions.
What is erythropoietin and its function?
Stimulate red blood cell production in response to low oxygen levels.
What does renin regulate?
Blood pressure and fluid balance via the renin-angiotensin system.
What is fluid balance?
Regulating the amount of water in the body.
What is the size and shape of the kidneys?
Bean-shaped organs, approximately 11 cm long, 5 cm wide, and 3 cm thick.
Where are the kidneys located?
In the upper abdominal cavity, retroperitoneal, extending from T12 to L3 vertebrae.
What is the renal capsule?
Outer layer of connective tissue surrounding each kidney.
What does the adipose capsule do?
Provides cushioning and support for the kidneys.
What is the hilum of the kidney?
A concave fissure on the medial border for entry and exit of blood vessels and nerves.
What does the renal sinus contain?
- Blood vessels
- Lymphatics
- Part of the urinary system
- Adipose tissue
What are the two major regions of the kidney?
- Renal Cortex
- Renal Medulla
What structures are found in the renal medulla?
- Renal pyramids
- Renal columns
What is the function of the nephron?
Filters blood and regulates blood pressure and volume.
What is the glomerulus?
A knot of capillaries specialized for filtration.
What are podocytes?
Highly modified cells forming the inner layer of the glomerular capsule.
Fill in the blank: The __________ is the structural and functional unit of the kidney.
Nephron
What are the three major processes of urine production?
- Filtration
- Tubular Absorption
- Tubular Secretion
What is the filtration membrane?
Allows some substances to pass from the blood into the Bowman capsule.
What influences filtration pressure?
- Glomerular capillary pressure
- Blood protein concentration
- Pressure in the Bowman capsule