Urinary System Flashcards
Functions of the kidneys
(Hint: 6 )
Structure of urinary system
Urine produced from the kidneys move from:
Kidney ➡️ renal pelvis ➡️ ureters ➡️ bladder ➡️ urethra
The kidney has two regions :
Cortex and Medulla
Arterial blood enters the kidney through which artery ?
Renal artery
The renal artery divides into ______________________ , then subdivides into numerous ____________________.
Interlobar arteries
Afferent arterioles
Which blood vessels deliver blood to the glomeruli
Afferent arterioles
What are glomeruli
Capillary networks that produce blood filtrate that enters the urinary tubules
(It filters the blood from the afferent arterioles, and that filtrate moves into the urinary tubules while the now filtered blood continues into the efferent arteriole.)
The blood remaining in the glomerulus leaves through an ________________________.
Efferent arteriole
The efferent arteriole delivers the blood to _________________.
Peritubular capillaries
Peritubular capillaries surround what structure ?
Renal tubules
Where does the blood from the Peritubular capillaries drain into
Veins and eventually leaves the kidney as a single RENAL VEIN
Renal circulation summary steps:
- Blood goes from Renal artery > interlobar arteries > afferent arteriole
- Afferent arterioles delivers blood into glomeruli
- Glomerulus filters the blood and the blood filtrate enters urinary tubules + the remaining filtered blood leaves through efferent arteriole
- The blood moves from efferent arteriole > peritubular capillaries > veins > renal vein
what is a nephron
Function unit of the kidney where urine is formed
How many nephrons in a kidney
About one million
Nephron blood circulation
Nephron filtrate flow in tubules
(After being filtered in the golmerulus , where does the filtrate go?)
Very important to know ALL these parts to understand the rest of the note
I know
3 main types of nephrons + how much each type makes up of total nephrons %
- Juxta-medullary (10%)
- Cortical nephrons (20%)
- Mid-cortical (70%)
Characteristics of juxta-medullary nephrons
- deep glomeruli (in cortex near medulla)
- long loops of Henle
- their peritubular capillaries are modified into VASA RECTA
What is vasa recta
Long hair-pin shaped blood vessels that surround the loop of Henle
(Modified peritubular capillaries in juxta-medullary nephrons)
What feature of the juxta-medullary nephron plays a role in concentrating urine (more water absorption) ?
Long loop of henle
Juxta-medullary nephrons play an important role in :
Concentration of urine
Vasa recta are modified ___________________________ for juxta-medullary nephrons .
Peritubular capillaries
Characteristics of cortical nephrons
- glomeruli in superficial cortex
- short loops of Henle