Histology: Urinary Tract Flashcards
What are the 4 components of the urinary system?
paired kidneys
paired ureters
1 bladder
1 urethra
What are the 7 functions of the kidney?
- regulate blood/ion composition
- regulate blood volume and blood pressure
- regulate blood pH
- Conservation of valuable nutrients
- Production and secretion of hormones (endocrine)
- Assist liver in detoxification of poisons
- Eliminates organic wastes and foreign substances
What is the hilum of the kidney?
a deep, vertical fissure along the medial concave border of the kidney where renal vessels, nerves and renal pelvis pass in/out.
What is the space just past the hilum?
the renal sinus (internal space)
What is the “stuff” that is within the renal sinus?
loose connective tissue, adipose tissue, renal pelvis, calyces and blood vessel branches
What is the renal capsule? What is it composed of?
Composed of connective tissue
It is the capsule covering the entire kidney surface
What is parenchyme? Where is it located?
Layer just deep to superficial renal capsule
It is the functional component of the kidney
What is the parenchyme made up of?
the renal cortex and the renal medulla
What is the difference between the renal cortex and the renal medulla?
the renal cortex is the outer superficial portion
the renal medulla is the inner deep portion
What makes up the renal medulla?
renal pyramids and renal columns
What are renal pyramids/columns? How many? How are they oriented?
There are 6-8 renal pyramids in a kidney.
pyramids are conical structures with their bases facing the cortex and their tips pointing towards minor calyces
renal columns are between the pyramids
What are renal columns composed of?
cortical tissue
What is a renal lobe?
a renal pyramid, the overlying renal cortex and 1/2 of each adjacent renal column
When is the term “renal lobe” used?
in association with development
Describe the bloodflow pathway from renal artery to renal vein.
Renal artery Segmented artery Interlobular artery Arcuate artery Interlobular artery Afferent artery Glomerular artery Efferent artery Peritubular capillaries (or vasa recta) Interlobular veins Arcuate veins Interlobular veins Renal vein
How many nephrons does 1 human have?
approximately 1 million
What are the two portions of a nephron?
Renal corpuscle and renal tubule
What is a renal corpuscle?
one of the portions of the nephron
where glomeruli filtration occurs
What is a renal tubule?
one of the portions of the nephron
where tubule reabsorption and secretion occur. (this is where we put back 99% back in blood)
What are the 3 processes each nephron performs for urine production?
- glomeruli filtration
- tubular reabsorption
- tubular secretion
Describe glomeruli filtration
water and solutes from blood plasma move from glomeruli capillaries into glomeruli capsule (bowman’s capsule)
Describe tubular reabsorption
Filtered fluid moves through the renal tubule and the tubule reabsorbs 99% of filtered water and solutes
these return back to blood stream at peritubular capillaries (or vasa recta)
Describe tubular secretion
tubular cells can remove additional substances from blood in peritubular capillaries
Where is the renal corpuscle located?
Renal cortex
What are the two portions of the renal corpuscle?
the glomerulus and bowman’s capscule (glomerular capsule)
What is the glomerulus? What supplies/drains it?
Glomerulus is a tuft of capillaries with 10-20 capillary loops
It is supplied by afferent arterioles and is drained by efferent arterioles
What is bowman’s capsule? What is another name for it?
bowman’s capsule aka glomerular capsule
double walled epithelial cup surrounding glomerulus. made up of 2 layers (visceral and parietla)