Renal Histology Flashcards

1
Q

What are the function of the renal system?

A

Maintain water and electrolyte homeostasis, body fluid osmolarity and acid-base balance
Excrete toxic metabolic waste products = urea, creatine
Endocrine gland = produces renin and erythropoeitin

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2
Q

What is the gross appearance of the kidney?

A

Bean shaped organ = 10-12cm long, 5-6cm wide, 3cm thick

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3
Q

Where is the kidney located?

A

In the upper retroperitoneal area = covered by a thin but strong capsule of dense collagen fibres

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4
Q

What is the function of the hilum of the kidney?

A

Site of entry of the renal artery, and exit of the renal vein and ureter

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5
Q

What are the structures present working from the ureter and in towards the kidney?

A

Renal pelvis, major calyces, minor calyces,

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6
Q

What are the two main features of the kidney?

A

Has inner cortex and outer medulla = medulla is further divided into layers

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7
Q

What is the medulla of the kidney divided into?

A

Medullary pyramids (8-18 per kidney) = apices point towards hilum (called papillae) ending on minor calyces

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8
Q

What makes up a lobe of the kidney?

A

Each medullary pyramid and its associated cortical tissue

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9
Q

What is the capsule of the kidney continuous with?

A

The connective tissue that lines the renal sinus

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10
Q

What is the basic functional unit of the kidney?

A

The nephron = composed of a renal corpuscle and tubules, total length is 45-65mm

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11
Q

What is the function of the renal corpuscle of the nephron?

A

Production and collection of glomerular filtrate

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12
Q

What is the function of the proximal convoluted tubule of the nephron?

A

Reabsorption of water, proteins, amino acids, carbohydrates and glucose

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13
Q

What is the function of the loop of Henle in the nephron?

A

Creation of hyperosmotic environment in the medulla

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14
Q

What is the function of the distal convoluted tubule of the nephron?

A

Acid-base and water balance = absorbs water, sodium, bicarbonate, and excretes of potassium and hydrogen

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15
Q

What forms the renal corpuscle?

A

Glomerulus and the Bowman’s capsule

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16
Q

What is the Bowman’s capsule?

A

Cup of simple squamous epithelium at the blind end of the nephron which capillaries invaginate into

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17
Q

What is the glomerulus?

A

Tuft of capillaries = supplied by an afferent arteriole and drained by an efferent arteriole

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18
Q

What separates the blood from the glomerular filtrate?

A

Capillary endothelium and the specialised epithelium which lies on top of the glomerular capillaries

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19
Q

What are some features of the capillary endothelium that helps separate blood from the glomerular filtrate?

A

Fenestrated with pores of 70-90mm diameter

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20
Q

What makes up the specialised epithelium that lies on top of the glomerular capillaries?

A

Made of podocytes that have interdigitating cell processes = form filtration slits, causes sawtooth appearance

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21
Q

What is between the capillary endothelium and the specialised epithelium in the renal corpuscle?

A

Thicker than usual (0.5 micrometers) basal lamina = made up of a feltwork of GAGs

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22
Q

What makes up the mesangium of the renal corpuscle?

A

Scattered mesangial cells = produce a connective tissue core

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23
Q

What is the glomerular filtrate?

A

100-125 ml/min ultrafiltrate of plasma (only 1 ml/min of urine)

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24
Q

Where does the renal tubule begin?

A

Opposite where arterioles enter the Bowman’s capsule

25
Q

What are the two poles present in the renal corpuscle?

A

Vascular pole and urinary pole

26
Q

What are the three components of the glomerular filter in the renal corpuscle?

A

Fenestrated endothelium of capillary wall
Thick basement membrane
Filtration slits between pedicels

27
Q

What structures share the thick basement membrane present in the glomerular filter of the renal corpuscle?

A

Endothelium and podocytes

28
Q

Where is most sodium and water reabsorbed?

A

The proximal convoluted tubule = water reabsorbed by diffusion, sodium reabsorbed by active transport

29
Q

How are amino acids and glucose reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule?

A

By co-transport

30
Q

How does the appearance of the proximal convoluted tubule differ from the distal convoluted tubule?

A

Larger and has less well defined luminal margin due to brush border

31
Q

What makes up the medulla?

A

Parallel tubules, loops of Henle and collecting ducts as well as a looping vascular network

32
Q

What does the loop of Henle consist of?

A

Thick descending limb, thin descending limb and thick ascending limb

33
Q

What is significant about the thin descending limb of the loop of Henle?

A

Makes hairpin turn and begins the journey back out of the medulla as the thin ascending limb

34
Q

What lines the limbs of the loop of Henle?

A

Thick limbs = simple cuboidal epithelium

Thin limbs = simple squamous epithelium

35
Q

Why can the medulla not have a regular blood supply?

A

This would carry away salts in the interstitial environment and destroy the osmotic gradient

36
Q

What is the vasa recta?

A

Loops of thin walled vessels that dip down into medulla from above and climb back into the cortex

37
Q

How are the microvilli arranged in the distal convoluted tubule?

A

Contains sparse apical microvilli

38
Q

What controls the reabsorption of Na+ in the distal convoluted tubule?

A

Aldosterone = increases Na+ and water retention which increases blood pressure

39
Q

Are the collecting ducts part of the nephron?

A

No

40
Q

What controls water reabsorption in the collecting ducts?

A

ADH = increases permeability to water, causes concentrated urine

41
Q

How are the collecting ducts organised?

A

Gathered into parallel bundles running perpendicular to the surface of the kidneys = called medullary rays (along with straight segments of tubules)

42
Q

What do medullary rays cause grossly?

A

Cause stripes in the cortex that point towards the medulla

43
Q

Where is urine produced at the renal papillae collected?

A

Into the minor calyx = flows into major calyx, ureter and then into bladder

44
Q

Where does urine flow during voiding?

A

Flows into the urethra and out of the body

45
Q

What lines most parts of the conducting parts of the renal system?

A

Urothelium = also called transitional epithelium, stratified and found in 3-6 cell layers

46
Q

What cells are at the luminal surface of the conducting parts of the renal system?

A

Umbrella cells = domed, have thickened inflexible membrane facing the lumen

47
Q

What causes the urothelium?

A

Due to the variability in thickness of cells due to different states of distension and special surface structures causing an impermeable barrier

48
Q

What is below the epithelium of the conducting parts of the renal system?

A

Lamina propria of connective tissue and 2-3 layers of smooth muscle

49
Q

What lines the lumen of the ureter?

A

Urothelium backed by a lamina propria of connective tissue

50
Q

What covers the urothelium and connective tissue that lines the lumen of the ureter?

A

Inner longitudinal layer of muscle smooth muscle and an outer circular layer surrounded by adventitia

51
Q

What happens to the lining of the lumen of the ureter as it nears the bladder?

A

It gains a third layer = extra longitudinal layer

52
Q

What forms the detrusor muscle?

A

Smooth muscle layers = responsible for micturition and the internal urethral sphincter

53
Q

What controls the micturition reflex?

A

Parasympathetic ganglia = innervated by neurons in the sacral spinal cord, found in muscle and adventitia of bladder

54
Q

How long is the urethra in females?

A

3-5cm long = initially lined by urothelium which then transitions to stratified squamous epithelium near its termination

55
Q

How long is the urethra in males?

A

20 cm in length = split in to prostatic, membranous and penile urethras

56
Q

What are some features of the prostatic urethra?

A

3-4cm long, extends from bladder and through the prostate gland, lined by urothelium

57
Q

What are some features of the membranous urethra?

A

1cm long, extends from prostate to bulb of the penis, urothelium changes to stratified columnar epithelium

58
Q

What are some features of the penile urethra?

A

15cm long, lined by stratified columnar epithelium which becomes stratified squamous epithelium near the tip of the penis