The Lower Urinary Tract

Question 1

Name the fibre muscle layers which make up the lower urinary passages

Answer 1

Inner to outer->

1. Tunica mucosa- transitional epithelium/urothelium
2. Lamina propria/ submucosa
3. Tunica muscularis (SM)
4. Tunica adventitia/ tunica serosa

Question 2

What is transitional epithelium

Answer 2

Type of epithelium that’s has the ability to stretch

Question 3

Describe the process of urine entering the bladder and what occurs when it is full
-what stops urine back flow when bladder gets full?

Answer 3

-urine enters bladder by the ureter; milked through and is stored. Once the bladder is pretty full, the volume of urine starts to push dorsally against the surface where it came from.
The ureter being at an upwards angle prevents back flow of urine

Question 4

What is the trigone area of the bladder

Answer 4

Area sensitive to expansion of bladder and area which sends signals in relation to controlling expansion

a triangular shaped region at the base of the bladder which has an anti reflux mechanism

Question 5

Name the 3 supporting ligaments of the urinary bladder

Answer 5

-2 lateral ligaments
-1 medial ligament

Question 6

What are the 2 lateral ligaments attached to?

Answer 6

Umbilical arteries

Question 7

Name the 2 arteries which supply the urinary bladder in the female

Answer 7

Umbilical and vaginal arteries

Question 8

Which artery does the umbilical artery give rise to?
Which artery does the vaginal artery give rise to?

Answer 8

-cranial vesical artery
-caudal vesical artery

Question 9

Name the artery which supplies blood in the male urinary bladder

Answer 9

Umbilical artery & prostatic artery

Question 10

What 2 branches of artery does the prostatic artery give rise to

Answer 10

caudal vesical artery and urethral branch

Question 11

Name the key nerves that innervate the bladder and control micturition

Answer 11

Pelvic nerve
Pudendal nerve
Hypogastric nerve

Question 12

Which innervations do the hypogastric, pelvic and pudendal nerves provide?

Answer 12

1. Sympathetic
2. Parasympathetic
3. Somatic (conscious control)

Question 13

Describe what occurs as the bladder fills

Answer 13

The bladder neck is drawn out – this effectively closes off the entrance to the urethra and forms internal & external sphincter

Question 14

The smooth muscle layer changes to _________ muscle in the urethra which is called what?

Answer 14

Skeletal
Urethalis muscle

Question 15

What is The collective name for the smooth muscle layers in the bladder wall

Answer 15

Detrusor muscle

Question 16

Name the role of the sympathetic hypogastric nerve

Answer 16

Allows expansion and contraction of bladder;
Detrusor muscle relaxation & urethral smooth muscle contraction-> urine retention

Question 17

Name the role of the parasympathetic pelvic muscle

Answer 17

Detrusor muscle contraction
—> bladder emptying

Question 18

Name the role of the somatic pudendal nerve

Answer 18

Striated urethral muscle contraction -> urine retention
Involved in voluntary control of micturition

Question 19

What type of epithelium does the urothelial mucosal lining later change to? (in female)

Answer 19

stratified columnar then stratified squamous epithelium

Question 20

The lamina propria contains a…
(In female)

Answer 20

Venous plexus

Question 21

True or false, the ‘urethral muscle’ is under voluntary control (pudendal nerve)
(In female)

Answer 21

True

Question 22

Penile urethra in the male surrounded by what

Answer 22

rich venous plexus= corpus spongiosum.

Question 23

In male urethra, outside the layer of blood vessels there is a dense CT layer called…

Answer 23

Tunica albuginea