Anatomy and Histology of the Urinary System Flashcards
What is in the urinary system?
Kidneys
Ureters
Urinary bladder
Urethra
What are the functions of the urinary system?
- Removes metabolic waste from blood by filtration and excretion
- Regulates blood pressure (by renin angiotensin mechanism)
- Regulates plasma concentrations of electrolytes (sodium, potassium and chloride etc.)
- Help to stabilize the PH
- Conserves valuable nutrients
- Reabsorption of small molecules (amino acids. Glucose, and peptides)
- Produces erythropoietin (a stimulant of RBC production by bone marrow)
What is the position of the kidneys?
- The kidneys lie in a retroperitoneal position, at the level of T12-L3.
- Right kidney is slightly lower than the left kidney.
- They are only partially peritonised.
What organs are anteriorly related to the kidney?
Right - liver, right colic flexure, duodenum
Left - Stomach, spleen, pancreas, descending colon
What are the posterior relations of the kidney?
Nerves: Subcostal, biohypogastric, biolingual
Related to the 12th rib
Label the following portions of the kidney


What are the following labels?



Pelvis is always posterior
What are the names of the different sections of the kidney?


What are the renal arteries?
–Segmental branches (x5)
–Interlobar
–Arcuate branches pass around the circumference
–Interlobular branches which ultimately supply each nephron.
–Essentially non-anastomosing
What are the veins of the kidney?
•Renal veins (1/each side): drains into the inferior vena cava.
Internal urethral sphincter is controled by the autonomic nervous system
External is urethral sphnicter is controlled by us
What is the narrowest part of the urethra?
Membranous part
What is the most dilated part of the urethra?
Prostatic part of the urethra
What is the longest part of the urethra?
The spongy part
What are the lymphatics and vessels of the urinary bladder?
•Arteries:
–Branches of the internal iliac arteries
•Veins:
–Tributaries of the internal iliac veins
•Lymphatic:
–External iliac: suprapubic part
–Internal iliac: Infrapubic part
What is the effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the internal sphincter?
Closes the internal sphincter
Nerves L1-L2
Parasympathetic nerves involved are S2,3 and 4
Which nerve constricts the detrusor muscle during micturition?
Parasympathetic
Transpyloric plane passes through which vertebral level?
L1
What composes the nephron?
Renal corpsucles and renal tubules
What composes the renal corpsucles?
Glomerulus and the bowman’s capsule
What are the constrictions of the ureter?
1: When the ureter passes over the inferior renal pole
2: Ureter crosses over external iliac vessels (pelvic part)
3: Ureter traverses the bladder wall
What is the nerve supply to the kidney?
•Renal plexus: sympathetic: T10-L1, Sensory afferent:T11-L2




