Urinary System Flashcards

1
Q

What makes up the urinary system?

A

Upper urinary tract
- Kidneys and ureters
Lower urinary tract
- Bladder and urethra

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2
Q

What are the functions of the kidneys?

A

Urine formation
- Filter -1200mL of blood/minute
- Regulates levels of fluids and electrolytes
- Removes metabolic wastes, drugs and toxins
Endocrine and metabolic functions
- Erythropoietin: blood cell production
- Renin: blood pressure regulation
- Vitamin D: converts inactive form (cholecalciferol) to active form (calcitriol)
- Gluconeogenesis: formation of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources

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3
Q

What are the structures entering the hilum?

A

Renal vein
Renal artery
- Accompanied by autonomic nerves and capsular lymphatics
Renal pelvis
- Funnel-shaped beginning of the ureter

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4
Q

Where are the kidneys located?

A

T12-L3
Lie obliquely in paravertebral gutters
Rt kidney crowned by liver and sits lower than Lt
- Rib 12 overlies upper pole of rt kidney
- Rib 11 overlies upper pole of lt kidney

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5
Q

What is the vertical ROM of the kidneys?

A

About 2cm (during full respiratory excursion of the diaphragm)

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6
Q

Are the kidneys intra or retro peritoneal?

A

Retroperitoneal - kidneys lie on the posterior abdominal wall (anterior aspect covered by parietal peritoneum)

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7
Q

What is the gross internal structure of the kidneys?

A

Cortex
- Beneath capsule
Medulla
Renal pelvis

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8
Q

How is the medulla arranged?

A

As pyramids (cone-shaped masses) that have papilla and base
Pyramids: striped appearance due parallel bundles of urine collecting tubules
Renal columns: inward extensions of cortical tissue that separate the pyramids
Pyramid + surrounding cortical tissue = kidney lobe

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9
Q

How is the renal pelvis arranged?

A

Urine drains from papillae of the renal pyramids into several minor calyces
Minor calyces converge to form 2-3 major calyces
Major calyces empty into the renal pelvis
- A funnel-shaped expansion continuous with the ureter leaving the hilum

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10
Q

What are the kidney poles and surfaces?

A

Lateral border - convex
Medial border - concave, has a vertical cleft (renal hilum) which extends into an internal cavity (renal sinus)

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11
Q

What are the structures entering the hilum anterior to posterior?

A

Renal vein
Renal artery accompanied by autonomic nerves and apsular lymphatics
Renal pelvis (funnel-shaped beginning of the ureter)

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12
Q

What is the arterial supply of the kidneys?

A

Renal arteries

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13
Q

What is the venous drainage of the kidneys?

A

Renal veins

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14
Q

Where do the renal arteries arise from?

A

Aorta at the level of L1/2 IVD

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15
Q

Which renal artery is longer?

A

Right renal artery

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16
Q

What happens when each renal artery enters the renal sinus?

A

Divides into smaller branches

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17
Q

What forms each renal vein?

A

5-6 interlobar veins that unite at the hilum

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18
Q

Which renal vein is longer than the other?

A

Left longer than right

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19
Q

What is the nerve supply of the kidneys?

A

Parasympathetic: CNX vagus
Sympathetic: T10-12 splanchnic nerves
Visceral afferents

20
Q

What is a nephron?

A

Basic functional unit of the kidneys
Each kidney has around 1 million nephrons

21
Q

What is the function of nephrons?

A

Blood filtration and urine formation

22
Q

What are the key components of the kidneys microscopically?

A

Renal corpuscle
- Glomerulus
- Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
Renal tubule and collecting duct
- Proximal convoluted tubule
- Nephron loop (loop of henle)
- Distal convoluted tubule
- Collecting duct

23
Q

What is the glomerulus?

A

A ‘knot’ of capillaries
receives blood from afferent arteriole and drained by an efferent arteriole
Fenestrations (capillary pores) allow for the easy formation of filtrate

24
Q

What is the glomerular (bowman’s) capsule?

A

A cup-shaped hollow structure that surrounds the glomerulus, continuous with the renal tubule

25
Q

What specialised epithelial cells are found in the glomerular capsule?

A

Podocytes
- Cling to capillaries

26
Q

What do foot processes of podocytes contain?

A

Filtration slits

27
Q

What is the proximal convoluted tubule?

A

Receives filtrate from bowman’s capsule
Cuboidal cells lining the wall of PCT possess microvilli and abundant mitochondria
Large capacity for reabsorption of substances

28
Q

What is the loop of henle?

A

Descending limb - squamous cells (THIN segment)
Ascending limb - Cuboidal/columnar cells (THICK segment)

29
Q

What is the distal convoluted tubule?

A

Cuboidal cells lack microvilli
Conveys urine to the collecting ducts

30
Q

Where do the collecting ducts receive their filtrate from?

A

Nephrons

31
Q

What gives the pyramids their striated appearance?

A

Collecting ducts

32
Q

Where is urine delivered?

A

To the minor calyces via renal papilla

33
Q

What is the juxtaglomerular apparatus?

A

A region where the most distal portion of the loop of henle lies against the afferent (and sometimes efferent) arteriole of its glomerulus

34
Q

What are the 3 types of specialised cells in the juxtaglomerular apparatus?

A

Macula densa cells
- Wall of tubule, act as chemoreceptors
- Monitor NaCl content of filtrate entering DCT
Juxtaglomerular cells
- Located in the arteriolar walls, act as mechanoreceptors
- Contains granules of renin
Extraglomerular mesangial cells
- Lie in between tubule and arteriole
- Help regulate MD and JG cells

35
Q

What are the ureters?

A

Paired, narrow tubes with a thick muscular wall

36
Q

What do the ureters do?

A

Convey urine from kidneys to bladder
-1.200ml a day

37
Q

Where are the ureters located?

A

Upper half = abdomen
Lower half = pelvis

38
Q

Where is the abdominal part of the ureters found?

A

Extends from kidney to bifurcation of common iliac artery

39
Q

How is urine propelled through the ureters?

A

Peristaltic contractions of smooth muscle as well as filtration pressure of glomeruli

40
Q

What is the bladder?

A

A hollow organ with strong muscular walls

41
Q

What is the function of the bladder?

A

Temporary reservoir for urine
- Moderately full: 500ml
- Max capacity: 800-1000ml

42
Q

What is the location of the bladder?

A

When empty: within the entire palvic cavity
When distended: domes into abdominal cavity (full bladder may even reach level of umbilicus)
In front of rectum (M) or vagina (F)

43
Q

What is the location of the male bladder?

A

Prostate gland: located below the bladder
B/w the posterior surface and rectum: seminal vesicles, vas deferens, rectovesical pouch

44
Q

What is the location of the female bladder?

A

in contact with uterus and vagina
Uterovescival pouch: separates bladder from uterus in females (shallow, empty pouch)

45
Q
A