Urinary - Kidneys Flashcards
What level of the spine is the urinary system at?
T12 and L3
Why is the right kidney slightly lower than the left?
Due to liver
What is the renal hilum?
Entry and exit point for ureters, renal blood vessels and nerves
What’s on top of each kidney?
Adrenal glands
What are the coverings of the kidneys?
- fibrous capsule
- perirenal fat capsule
- renal fascia
What is the fibrous capsule?
A thin membranous sheath that covers each kidney - innermost layer
What is the perirenal fat capsule?
Fat that surrounds each kidney and cushions against blows
What is the renal fascia?
Outermost layer that surrounds kidneys and adrenal glands. Helps anchor organs in place
What are the regions of the kidney?
- renal cortex
- renal medulla
- renal pelvis
What does the calyces do?
Funnel urine towards renal pelvis
What is the renal pelvis?
Funnel for urine
For each minute, how much blood passes the kidneys?
One quarter
Can nephrons be replaced when damaged?
No
What is the responsibility of nephrons?
Process waste products from the blood to form urine
What are the two main structures of nephrons?
- Renal corpuscle
- Renal tubules
What is the structure of renal corpuscle?
- glomerulus
- bowman’s capsule (or glomerular capsule)
What is the glomerulus?
Network of tiny blood capillaries where blood filtration begins
What is the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule?
Cup shaped structure surrounding the glomerulus
What are the subdivisions of the renal tubule?
- Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
- Nephron loop (loop of Henle)
- Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
What are peritubular capillary beds?
- Small blood vessels surrounding renal tubules
- arise from arterioles of the glomeruli
- reabsorbs nutrients and water from renal tubules that needs to go back into bloodstream
What is the collecting duct?
- Separate from nephrons
- carry tubular fluid through renal medulla towards renal pelvis and ureters
What are the two types of nephrons?
Cortical & juxtamedullary
What type of nerves do both nephrons contain? What do these nerves do?
Renal nerves - adjust blood flow and bp at glomeruli
What does nitrogenous waste include?
- creatinine
- ammonia / urea
- uric acid
What is uric acid?
Produced from breakdown of the body’s cells and food
What is creatinine?
Produced by muscles from the breakdown of creatine (substance that provides energy for the muscles)
What is ammonia? Urea?
A toxic waste product from the breakdown of proteins. Converted into urea by liver (less toxic waste product)
What is a urea test for?
Assess protein balance
What does low levels of ammonia/urea indicate?
- malnutrition
- kidney dysfunction
What does high levels of ammonia/urea indicate?
- excessive protein intake
- increased protein breakdown in the body
Where are cortical nephrons found?
Cortex
Responsible for reabsorption of water and solutes from filtrate. Less involved in concentrating urine
Where are juxtamedullary nephrons found?
Boundary of the cortex and medulla
Essential for conserving water in the body and concentrating urine
Releases renin (regulates bp)
