Histology: Urinary Flashcards
Kidney Structure
Renal Cortex
Renal Medulla
- Contains pyramids
- Extensions of cortex are renal columns
8-18 Lobes
- Renal pyramid, minor calyx and surrounding column
- Minor calyces combine to form major calyces and finally renal pelvis
Nephron Organization

Nephron is functional unit
-
Renal Corpuscle
- Glomerulus (tuft of capillaries)
- Glomerular Capsule
- Proximal Convoluted Tubule
- Nephron Loop (loop of Henle)
- Distal Convoluted Tubule
- Collecting Ducts

Renal Cortex
- Renal Corpuscles
- Convoluted Tubules

Renal Medulla
- Straight Tubules
- Nephron Loops
- Collecting Ducts

Types of Nephrons
Cortical Nephrons
-
Short loop nephrons
- Loop of Henle into _outer_ medulla
Juxtamedullary Nephrons
-
Long loop nephrons
- Loop of Henle into _inner_ medulla

Blood Circulation in Kidney
Receive 25% cardiac output
- Renal artery –> Segmental Arteries –> Interlobar arteries –> Arcuate arteries (arching over top of pyramids) –> Interlobular/Cortical Radial arteries –> Afferent arteriole –> Glomerulus –> Efferent arterioles –>
- Peritubular capillaries (surrounding convoluted tubules)
- OR vasa recta (follow loop of henle)
- Interlobular veins –> Arcuate veins –> Interlobar veins –> Renal veins

Arterioles

Renal Capillaries
Which pathway?
-
Peritubular Capillaries
- Arise from cortical glomeruli
- Reabsorb water/solutes in tubules
-
Vasa Recta
- Arise from juxtamedullary glomeruli
- Along lopp of henle
- Countercurrent exchange of water/solutes
Renal Corpuscle

Glomerulus
- Fenestrated capillaries
Glomerular Capsule
- Visceral layer made of podocytes
- Parietal layer (simple squamous epithelium)
- Capsular/urinary space in b/w
Vascular Pole
- Where arterioles enter/exit
Tubular/Urinary Pole
- opens into PCT

Glomerular Filtration
- Water and solutes leave vascular space, enter capsular space (called filtrate)
-
Glomerular Filtrate
- Similar to blood plasma, LITTLE protein
- Glomerular Filtration Rate
- 125 mL/min –> 180 L/day
-
Glomerular Filtrate
Glomerular Filtration Barrier
-
Endothelium of glomerular capillaries (fenestrated)
- Prevents filtration of blood/platelets
-
Glomerular basement membrane (basal lamina of endothelium and podocytes)
- Prevents filtration of proteins/anions
-
Pedicels of Podocytes
- Form filtration slits

Podocytes
- Processes surround glomerular capillaries
-
Pedicels form filtration slits
- Joined by modified tight junctions

Mesangium
- Enclosed within glomerular basement membrane
- contains mesangial cells and ECM
-
Resemble vasulr pericytes
- Provide structural support
- Phagocytosis
- Immune defense and injury repair
-
Resemble vasulr pericytes

(MM) is mesangial matrix on image
Proximal Convoluted Tubule

- Simple cuboidal epithelium
- Star-shaped lumen
- Appears occluded due to microvilli
- Indisctinct cell boundaries
-
Primary site of reabsorption (2/3 of filtrate)
- Glucose, amino acids, small polypeptides
- Microvilli with glycocalyx
- Tight junctions/zonula adherens
-
Basal striations with mitochondria (power Na+/K+ pumps to establish Na+ gradient to absorb water)
- Also, aquaporin-1 channels in lateral PM
- Secretes anions/cations

Nephron Loop

Proximal Straight Tubule (thick descending limb)
- Recovers remaining Glucose
- Resembles PCT (simple cuboidal epithelium, brush border, star-shaped)
Thin Segment (simple squamous epithelium)
- Thin Descending Limb
- Permeable to water, concentrates fluid
- Thin Ascending Limb
- Permeable to ions (not water)
- fluid becomes dilute
Distal Straight Tubule
- Reabsorbs NaCl
- Resembles DCT (simple cuboidal epithelium, smaller lumen than PCT, round, few microvilli)

Distal Convoluted tubule

- In renal cortex
-
Simple cuboidal epithelium
- No brush border
- Round
- Smaller than PCT
- Reabsorbs Na+, Cl-, Ca2+
- Acidies urine:
- Absorb bicarbonate
- Secretes H+/ammonium
- Basal striations with mitochondria (Na+/K+ pumps)
- Impermeable to water

Juxtoglomerular Apparatus

- Adjacent to vascular pole (afferent/efferent arterioles)
- Distal Straight Tubule/DCT contacts vascular pole
- Regulates blood pressure via renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system
Juxtaglomerular Cells
- Smooth muscle cells in afferent arteriole
- Secrete renin
Extraglomerular Mesangial Cells
- Lacis cells
- Produce erythropoietin (more RBCs)
Macula Densa
- Cells in wall of distal straight tubule
-
Monitors Na+ levels in tubular fluid
-
Low Na+ (low blood pressure)
- Dilate afferent arteriole –> increase glomerular filtration rate
- Stimulates JG cells to secrete renin –> increases blood pressure
- High Na+ (high blood pressure)
- Contrict afferent arteriole –> decrease GFR
- Decrease renin –> decrease blood pressure
-
Low Na+ (low blood pressure)

Collecting Duct

- Cortical and medullary portions
- Cells become increasingly columnar (compared to cuboidal in cortex)
- Reabsorbs water
- Visible cell boundaries
Principal (Light) Cells
- Single primary cilium
-
Aquaporin-2 channels (regulated by ADH)
- Increased with ADH, more concetrated urine
- Aldosterone stimulates Na+ uptake, increases blood volume
Intercalated (dark) Cells
- many mitochondria
- Regulate urine pH
- Apical microplicae

Renal Papilla
- Collecting ducts open at tip of renal papilla
- Papillary ducts of Bellini
- Above minor calyx

Transitional Epithelium
- Stratified epithelium
- Accommodates distension
Superficial Layer:
- Umbrella Cells
Intermediate Layer
- # of layers vary with state of distention
Basal Layer
- Stem cells

Ureter
Star-shaped lumen
Mucosa
- Transitional Epithelium
- Lamina propria
Muscularis
- Inner longitudinal
- Middle Circular (thickest)
- Outer longitudinal (closer to bladder)
Adventitia
- Adipose, nerves, blood vessels
Serosa:
- Anterior surface

Bladder

Mucosa
- Transitional Epithelium
Submucosa
- Dense CT
- Blood vessels, nerves, smooth muscle
Muscularis
- Detrusor muscle

Urethra
Male
- Prostatic Urethra
- Transitional Epithelium
- Membranous Urethra
- Stratified or Pseudostratified columnar epithelium
- Spongy Urethra
- Pseudostratified by columnar epithelium
- Becomes stratified squamous distally
Female:
- Transitional epithelium
- Becomes stratified squamous distally