introduction to the urinary system Flashcards
what is the urinary system consisted of?
kidneys (where urine is made), ureters (carry urine from kidneys to bladder), bladder (storage), urethra (urine excretion)
what are the main functions of the urinary system?
removal of metabolic waste and foreign substances
ion concentration regulation of plasma
regulates plasma volume (thus blood volume and pressure)
osmoregulation of plasma
H+ concentration of plasma regulated
what are the three regions of a kidney?
renal cortex (outer), renal medulla (middle), renal pelvis (contains major renal b vessels, origin of ureter)
what are the cone-shaped tissue masses that divide the renal medulla called?
renal pyramids
what is a nephron?
they are the site of blood filtration and urine production, found throughout renal cortex and medulla.
what are the two types of nephron?
cortical nephrons and juxtamedullary nephrons (on the border)
what is each nephron made up of?
a corpuscle and renal tubules
what is the renal corpuscle?
consists of tightly packed capillaries (glomerulus) plus bowman’s capsule. its main role is plasma filtration
what are the types of renal tubules?
proximal- leads into loop of Henle
loop of Henle leads into distal renal tubule which leads into collecting duct–> bladder
how does each kidney receive blood from the heart?
renal arteries which enter kidney at the Hilus. renal veins exit at the Hilus and connect kidney with vena cava.
how do the renal arteries branch?
they branch into 5 segmental arteries which branch into interlobar arteries–> afferent arterioles–>glomerular capillaries
what is the difference between afferent and efferent arteries?
afferent- carry blood to glomerulus
efferent- carry blood away from glomerulus
what are the peritubular capillaries?
glomerular capillaries form the efferent arterioles which lead to the peritubular capillaries. these surround the renal tubules (proximal and distal) and reabsorb water.
what are the vasta recta?
vessels which wrap around the loop of Henle
where does the vasta recta vessels drain?
into the interlobular vein–>arcuate vein, interlobar vein, renal vein, inferior vena cava.
