Lect. 5: Genitourinary System Flashcards
From what germ layer does the urinary system develop?
intermediate mesoderm (between paraxial mesoderm and lateral plate mesoderm)
What is the intermediate mesoderm called once it is arranged cranially to caudally?
urogenital ridge
From which portion of the urogenital ridge does the gonadal and genital system develop?
gonadal and genital system form from central and medial portion of the urogenital ridge
Kidneys develop in how many successive stages?
three
Name the three successive stages of kidney development.
1) pronephros
2) mesonephros
3) metanephros
What is the direction of kideny development?
renal development is cranial to caudal wave down intermediate mesoderm
Describe the pronephros. What is its lifespan?
Pronephros is the first stage of kidney that develops from the upper portion of the urogenital ridge in the first few days of the 4th week. It is non-functional (no filtration occurs) and disappears by the end of the 4th week. (2-4 day lifespan)
Describe the mesonephros. What is its lifespan?
Mesonephros is the second of the 3 kidneys. It develops from cranial to caudal as the pronephros is disappearing. Functional by 5th week and stays functional until around the 9th week when it regresses.
What are the two portions of the mesonephros?
1) basic nephron system (filtration)
2) mesonephric duct (on lateral side of urogenital ridge that drains into cloaca)
What is the metanephros? When does it begin to function?
Metanephros is the final of the 3 kindeys. (This is the kidney you are born with). It begins to function in the 2nd trimester (by 10th week).
What drains into the mesonephric duct?
all of the tiny mesonephros ductules
What is the other name of the mesonephric duct?
Wolffian duct
When does the metanephros develop?
begins to develop as mesonephros is functional (around the 5th week, the ureteric bud forms)
Describe the formation of the metanephros.
At the most distal end of the mesonephric duct, the ureteric bud develops and the metanephric mass (from intermediate mesoderm) develops as a cap over it.
What does the ureteric bud give rise to?
ureteric bud lengthens and subdivides to form the drainage system (“just the plumbing”): calyces, pelvis, ureter
Why is cross-induction important in the development of the kidney?
ureteric bud must meet up with metanephric blastema for a kidney to form–this will result in the lack of a kidney! (quite common and asymptomatic)
What is the most common defect of the ureteric bud?
double ureter
What are the symptoms of a double ureter?
Asymptomatic, simply a bifid or doubling of the ureteric bud. With a bifid ureter, one is usually smaller than another.
What is an ectopic ureter?
the ureter is formed and misdirects away from the bladder
What are the most common female ectopic sites for a ectopic ureter?
vagina, urethra, or into the vestibule
What are the most common male ectopic sites for an ectopic ureter?
prostatic urethra or neck of the bladder
What is the major problem with ectopic ureters?
incontinence
When does the metanephric mass begin to form? What does it eventually develop?
The metanephric blastema begins to form in the 5th week and forms the cortex/medullary portion of the kidney around the 8th-9th week (forms the nephrons and filtration system).
Where does the ureteric bud join with the metanephric mass?
distal ends of ureteric buds are collecting ducts that hook up to the distal convoluted tubule
What is a unilateral renal agenesis? IN whom and where is this most common?
missing a kidney (most common in males on LEFT side)
What is unilateral hypoplastic kidney? What are its symptoms?
kidney does not fully develop (never preceeds to develop all of necessary ductules and nephrons). It is asymptomatic.
What is a supernumerary kidney?
an extra kidney
What is polycystic kidney disease? What are the symptoms?
very severe autosomal genetic defect where the ends of collecting ducts dilate and form cysts (renal failure early after birth and quick fetal death)
What is bilateral renal agenesis?
bilateral loss of kidneys
Bilateral renal agenesis is the most common cause of what?
most common cause of oligohydramnios (low volume of amniotic fluid). Fetus consumes fluid but cannot excrete it. This reduces amount of amniotic fluid so fetus is not protected from external pressures
What is associated with bilateral renal agenesis?
Potter’s sequence (from oligohydramnios leading to external pressure)
1) Low set ears and flattened face
2) Club hand (short and stubby)
3) Hypoplastic lungs
What are the positional changes of the kidneys?
kidneys form very low down in the trunk (lower lumbar pelvic region) and they must “ascend” by undergoing a positional change where they come to rest in the dorsal abdominal wall of T11-12 through L1-L2 vertebral levels.
Do the kidneys really ascend?
As kidneys form, the pelvis and lower trunk grows inferiorly under the kidnays so that the kidneys don’t really move upward all that much.
What is a pelvic kidney?
one kidney is left behind and held in the pelvis (the other kidney ends up in the right spot). This is asymptomatic unless it rotates and the ureter gets twisted
What is a horse-shoe kidney? What does it get stuck on?
both kidneys stay in pelvis and the lower poles meet in midline and fuse (when they try to ascend they get caught under the inferior mesenteric artery)
Where does the urogenital sinus come from?
the urorectal septum divides the cloaca into the anorectal canal (dorsal) and urogenital sinus (ventral)
What does the urogenital sinus form?
bladder, urethra, prostate gland, and lower vagina/vestibule
How do the male and female urethras differ?
most of male, but ectoderm forms most distal end of the penile urethra
What is the origin of the relationship between the ureter and vas deferens?
In development, the 2 mesonephric ducts and the ureteric buds get absorbed into the posterior wall of the bladder. Ureters raise up in higher position as mesonephric ducts move caudally towards the urethra (so it is looped over the ureter)