2: Urinary System Flashcards
What are the organs in the urinary system?
2: kidneys, ureters
1: bladder, urethra
What are the general functions of the urinary system?
1) regulate water & electrolyte balance
2) excretion of nitrogenous wastes & some water & electrolytes
3) excretion of some other materials (drugs)
4) secrete renin
What are the 6 general parts of the kidney?
capsule, hilum, renal pelvis, major calyces, minor calyces, renal sinus
What is the kidney capsule?
thin & fiberous; made of dense irregular CT
What is the hilum of the kidney?
concave & medial; nerves enter, ureters exit; blood & lymph enter and exit
What is the renal pelvis?
widening of the ureter
What are the major calyces?
broad spaces w/i kidney to collect urine & direct to renal pelvis (2/3 kidney)
What are the minor calyces?
smaller collecting areas from each major calyx
contain renal papilla = tip of each renal pyramid
What is the renal sinus?
area surrounding renal pelvis, major calyces & minor caylces
contains adipose
What are the two general regions of parenchyma w/i the kidney?
Cortex & medulla
What does the cortex of the kidney contain?
renal corpuscles, tubles, medullary rays
What are the medullary rays of the kidney cortex?
extend from medulla into cortex
contains primarily portions of the loop of henle & collecting tubles
What are the parts of the medulla of the kidney?
renal pyramids: 8-12 per kidney
renal columns: areas separating the renal pyramids
How many nephrons are in each kidney?
~1 million
What are the parts a nephron?
renal corpuscle, proximal convoluted tubules (PCT), loop of henle, distal convoluted tuble (DCT), connecting tubles, collecting ducts
Where is the renal corpuscle found and the function?
always in cortex, blood filtration
What are the two major parts of the renal corpsule?
Bowman’s (glomerular) capsule, Glomerulus
What are the two layers of Bowman’s capsule?
parietal & visceral layer
What is the parietal layer of Bowman’s capsule made of?
simple squamous epithelium (bilayer)
What is the visceral layer of Bowman’s capsule?
an internal layer of podocytes
What are podocytes?
modified epithelial cells containing pedicles
What are pedicels?
secondary podocyte cell processes covering the glomerular capillaries creating filtration slits
What is the urinary (capsular) space?
space btwn parietal & visceral layer of Bowman’s capsule
recieves the filtered fluid from the capillaries
What is the glomerulus of the renal corpsule?
fenestrated capillary network inside the visceral layer of Bowman capsule
What is the unique location of the glomerulus?
btwn 2 arterioles so muscle in tunica media can create an increased capillary pressure to enhance filtration
increase/decrease pressure
What are the not so important part of the renal corpsule?
mesangial cells
What are mesangial cells?
special cells w/i the renal corpuscles; though to replace regular CT; many are pericyte-like (contractile filaments)
often present in areas lacking podocytes
What is the function of mesangial cells?
capillary support
adjust capillary pressure for good filtration
phagocytosis of interfering materials (proteins)
secrete various cytokines (immune defense & glomerulus repair)
What is the epithelium type in the proximal convoluted tubules (PCT)?
simple cuboidal w/ long microvilli (numerous)