The Urinary System

Question 1

Give three roles of the urinary system.

Answer 1

1. Removes waste products
2. Maintains normal concentrations of water within the body
3. Regulates pH within the body
4. Helps to control blood pressure

Question 2

What does the urinary system consist of? What are the primary roles of these parts?

Answer 2

A pair of kidneys - remove substances from blood and urine
A pair of tubular ureters - transport urine from the kidneys
A urinary bladder - stores urine
A tubular urethra - transports urine to outside the body

Question 3

What is the location of the kidneys?

Answer 3

They are located on the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity, either side of the vertebral column.

Question 4

Name the two distinct regions of the kidneys.

Answer 4

Inner medulla and outer cortex.

Question 5

Talk through the structure of the kidneys.

Answer 5

The hollow chamber within the kidneys is known as the renal sinus. The entrance to the sinus is known as the hilum. Vessels, nerves and the uterer pass through the hilum. The uterer expands to form the renal pelvis which then divides into tubes called major calyces. These then divide into minor calyces.

Question 6

Give the 5 stages of the renal blood vessel pathway.

Answer 6

1. Renal arteries enter through the hilum
2. These form interloper arteries
3. These form arcuate arteries
4. These form interlobular arteries
5. These form afferent arteries which lead to the nephrons

Question 7

What are the two main parts of each nephron?

Answer 7

Renal corpuscle and renal tubule.

Question 8

What’s the difference between the afferent and efferent arterioles?

Answer 8

Afferent arterioles carry blood towards the nephrons

Efferent arterioles carry blood away from the nephrons

Question 9

Talk through the 13 stages of urine passing through the nephrons and leaving the body.

Answer 9

1. Glomurules
2. Glomerular capsule
3. Proximal convoluted tubules
4. Descending nephron loop
5. Ascending nephron loop
6. Distal convoluted tubule
7. Collecting duct
8. Minor calyx
9. Major calyx
10. Renal pelvis
11. Uterer
12. Urinary bladder
13. Urethra

Question 10

Discuss 3 of the functions of the kidneys.

Answer 10

1. They maintain homeostatic by removing metabolic wastes from the blood and excreting them.
2. They regulate red blood cell production
3. They regulate the volume of blood within the body and therefore the blood pressure

Question 11

What two structures does the nephron corpuscle consist of?

Answer 11

The glomerulus and glomerular capsule

Question 12

Which four structures make up the renal tubule of the nephron?

Answer 12

The proximal convoluted tubule, the ascending nephron loop, the descending nephron loop and the distil convoluted tubule.

Question 13

Where does the collecting duct empty its contents?

Answer 13

Into the minor calyx of the renal pelvis.

Question 14

Describe the juxtagomeular apparatus.

Answer 14

The jaxtagomerular apparatus is the point of contact between the last portion of the ascending limb of the nephron loop and the afferent and efferent arterioles.

Question 15

What is the primary function of the nephrons?

Answer 15

To remove waste from blood and regulate water and electrolyte concentrations. Urine is the end product.

Question 16

Describe glomerular filtration.

Answer 16

The process by which water and dissolved materials filter out of glomerular capillaries into the glomerular capsule of the nephron.

Question 17

By which method does water move out of the glomerular capillaries and into the glomerular capsule?

Answer 17

Filtration. Higher pressure in the glomerular capillaries moves substances into the glomerular capsule of the nephron.

Question 18

Where does the majority of tubular reabsorption take place?

Answer 18

In the proximal convoluted tubule of the nephron.

Question 19

Which specialised cells make the process of tubular reabsorption more effective?

Answer 19

Specialist epithelial cells which are lined with microvilli to increase surface area and therefore the rate of tubular absorption.

Question 20

Which process allows for the absorption of sodium atoms?

Answer 20

Active transport.

Question 21

Which process allows for the reabsorption of water?

Answer 21

Osmosis.

Question 22

Give 5 substances which occur in urine.

Answer 22

1. Water
2. Urea
3. Uric acid
4. Electrolytes
5. Amino acids

Question 23

Name five conditions which can effect a person urine volume output.

Answer 23

1. Fluid intake
2. Environmental conditions (e.g. Temperature, humidity)
3. Individuals emotional state
4. Individuals body temperature
5. Individuals respiratory rate

Question 24

Which part of the urinary system actively secretes urine?

Answer 24

The urethra

Question 25

What is the primary function of the urinary bladder?

Answer 25

To store urine and force it through the urethra during micturition.

Question 26

Which two muscles take part in the micturition reflex?

Answer 26

The destructor muscle contracts

The external urethral sphincter relaxes

Question 27

Is the micturition reflex voluntary or involuntary?

Answer 27

Both- the micturition reflex centre in the spinal cord sends parasympathetic motor impulses to the muscles involved in micturition. However, an individual can have voluntary control over these muscles also.

Question 28

What three layers make up the ureters?

Answer 28

1. Mucous coat
2. Muscular coat
3. Fibrous coat