Structural and Functional Organization of the Urinary System Flashcards
What are the components of the urinary system
two kidneys, two ureters, one urinary bladder, and one urethra
What is the study of anatomy, physiology, and disorders of the kidneys?
Nephrology
What is the branch of medicine that deals with the male and female urinary system?
urology
What are the 5 functions of the kidneys?
Regulation of ion levels
regulation of blood volume and pressure
regulation of blood pH
Production of hormones
Excretion of wastes
How do the kidneys regulate blood pressure
secrete renin, which activates the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone pathways, by adjusting blood flow into and out of the kidneys, and by adjusting blood volume.
how do kidneys regulate blood pH?
by excreting variable amounts of H+ in the urine, and conserve HCO3.
What are the two hormones produced by the kidneys?
Calcitirol and Erythopoietin.
what is calcitriol?
active form of Vitamin D, helps regulate calcium homeostasis.
What does erythropoietin do?
stimulates production of red blood cells
what do the kidneys excrete as waste?
ammonia and urea
bilirubin
creatinine
uric acid
foreign substances
Where do the kidneys lie?
L3-T12, between peritoneum and back wall of the abdominal cavity, on either side of the vertebral column
Which kidney is lower?
right kidney
what is the indentation on the medial border of the kidney?
renal hilum
what goes in and out of the renal hilum?
the ureter leaves from here and blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves enter and exit.
what is the connective tissue sheath that helps maintain the shame of the kidney and serves as a barrier against trauma?
the renal capsule
what surrounds the renal capsule and cushions the kidney, anchoring it to the posterior abdominal wall?
adipose tissue
what are the two main interior regions of the kidneys?
renal cortex
renal medulla
what fills the spaces between the cone shaped renal pyramids inside the medulla?
renal columns, which are extensions of the renal cortex.
urine formed in the kidneys passes through what?
papillary ducts w in the renal pyraminds into cuplike structures called minor calyces.
how many minor calyces does each kidney have?
8-12
how many major calyces do kidneys have?
2-3
what is the renal pelvis?
collects urine from the major calyces, drains into a ureter which transports urine into the bladder.
How much blood at any given time is in the kidneys?
20-25% of the cardiac output, 1200 milliliters of blood per minute.
The arteries that flow INTO the kidney eventually reduce to what smaller vessel?
afferent arterioles, into the tangled capillary network called the glomerulus
the capillaries of the glomerulus reunite to form what?
efferent arteriole
after leaving the glomerulus, the efferent arterioles form a network around what?
the kidney tubules. these peritubular capillaries form peritubular veins.
What is the name for the functional units of the kidneys?
the nephrons
all the smaller veins (e.g. peritubular> interlobular>arcuate> and interlobar veins) ultimately drain into what?
the renal vein.
two parts of the neprhon:
renal corpuscle
renal tubule
what is filtered fluid called that passes into the renal tubule?
glomerular filtrate
two parts that make up the renal corpuscle?
glomerulus and the glomerular (Bowmans) capsule
three main sections of the renal tubule.
in the order that fluid passes through it:
proximal convoluted tubule
loop of Henle
distal convoluted tubule
which part of the renal tubule extends into the renal medulla
the loop of henle
what are the basic processes performed by the nephrons and collecting ducts?
glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and tubular secretion.
what is the first step in urine production?
glomerular filtration.
where does filtration occur crossing the wall of glomerular capillaries?
glomeruli
at what point does the filtered fluid that has undergone tubular reabsorption and tubular secretion get called urine?
when it enters the minor and major calyx.
what is the space between the renal corpuscle and the glomerular capsule called?
capsular space
what forms the filtration membrane?
the podocytes (inner wall of the glomerular capsule) and the glomerular endothelium.
what forms the outer layer of the glomerular capsule?
simple squamous epithelial cells
what creates the pressure that causes filtration in the kidneys?
the blood pressure in the glomerular capillaries.
what are the two pressures that oppose glomerular filtration?
blood colloid osmotic pressure
and glomerular capsule pressure (due to the fluid in the capsular space and renal tubule)
normal blood pressure is greater than the two opposing pressures of the glomerular capillaries, producing a net filtration of how much mmHg?
10mmHg
how many liters daily does net filtration pressure force into the capsular space for males and females?
150 L daily for females, 180 L daily for males
formula for net filtration pressure
NFP= glomerular capillary BP - (blood colloidal osmotic pressure + glomerular capsule pressure)
what helps raise the blood pressure in the glomerular capillaries?
the fact that the efferent arteriole is smaller in diameter than the afferent arteriole
what process helps keep net filtration pressure steady to maintain normal glomerular filtration?
changes in the diameters of the afferent and efferent arterioles (constricted afferent = decrease, constriction of efferent = increase)
what is the amount of filtrate that forms in the both kidneys every minute called?
glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
GFR rate in adults
105 ml/min in females, 125 ml/min in males
what happens if the GFR is too high?
needed substances pass so quickly through the renal tubules that they are unable to be reabsorbed and pass out of the body as urine.
what happens if GFR is too low?
waste products are not adequately secreted
what hormone increases GFR?
Atrial Natriuretic Peptide (ANP). it promotes loss of sodium ions and water in urine
what secretes ANP?
cells in the atria of the heart if it is stretched more, as occurs when blood volume increases.
what happens with greater sympathetic stimulation of the kidneys?
the afferent arterioles are constricted reducing GFR, Net Filtration, and urine output, conserving blood volume and permits greater blood flow to other body tissues (as in hemorrhaging or excercise)
at what point does filtered fluid become tubular fluid?
once it enters the proximal convoluted tubule.
what percentage of glomerular filtrate actually leaves the body in urine?
1%. the fluid that actually drain into the renal pelvis.