Upper Renal Tract Anatomy

Question 1

Outline the pathway of urine from production to excretion

Answer 1

Kidney (production) -> ureter -> bladder -> urethra

Question 2

What organs are found in the upper urinary tract?

Answer 2

Kidneys and ureters

Question 3

What organs are found in the lower urinary tract?

Answer 3

Bladder

Urethra

Question 4

What urinary tract organs are found in the abdomen?

Answer 4

Kidneys

Proximal ureters

Question 5

What urinary tract organs are found in the pelvis?

Answer 5

Distal ureters
Bladder
Proximal urethra

Question 6

What urinary tract organ is found in the perineum?

Answer 6

Distal urethra

Question 7

The kidneys are retro/sub-peritoneal organs

Answer 7

Retroperitoneal organs

Question 8

The renal hilum is the medial/lateral aspect of the kidney

Answer 8

Medial

Question 9

The renal hilum is the site of the main blood vessels and ureter. True/false?

Answer 9

True

Question 10

At the hilum, the renal artery sits anterior/posterior to the renal vein

Answer 10

Posterior (vein is anterior to artery)

Question 11

What are the layers of fat sitting anterior to the kidney?

Answer 11

Paranephric and perinephric (paranephric is more superficial)

Question 12

The right kidney sits at which vertebral level?

Answer 12

L1-L3

Question 13

The left kidney sits at which vertebral level?

Answer 13

T12-L2

Question 14

The kidneys are found in which abdominal regions?

Answer 14

Right and left lumbar/flank regions

Question 15

The renal arteries and veins are branches of which structures?

Answer 15

Arteries - abdominal aorta

Veins - inferior vena cava

Question 16

Branches of what arteries supply the ureter?

Answer 16

Renal artery
Abdominal aorta
Common/internal iliac arteries
Vesical artery

Question 17

Lymph from the kidneys drain to which nodes?

Answer 17

Lumbar nodes

Question 18

Lymph from the ureters drain to which nodes?

Answer 18

Lumbar and iliac nodes

Question 19

What structure gives the kidney its shape?

Answer 19

Renal capsule

Question 20

Nephrons are found in the renal medulla/cortex

Answer 20

Medulla

Question 21

From proximal to distal, what are the structures of a nephron?

Answer 21

Glomerulus
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Distal convoluted tubule
Collecting duct 
Minor calyx

Question 22

What are the anatomical sites of ureteric constriction?

Answer 22

Pelviureteric junction
Ureter crossing of common iliac artery
Ureteric orifice

Question 23

What can get stuck at the sites of ureteric constriction?

Answer 23

Renal calculi

Question 24

Obstruction of the ureter causes what kind of pain?

Answer 24

Colicky pain

Question 25

What is renal failure?

Answer 25

When pressure within the urinary tract exceeds pressure favouring filtration at glomerulus

Question 26

What happens in hydronephrosis?

Answer 26

Urine back pressure into calyces compresses nephrons causing water in kidney