Urinary System Flashcards
Name the main organs of the urinary system?
Kidneys
Ureters
Urinary bladder
Urethra
What organs form the urinary tract & what is its function?
The ureters, urinary bladder and urethra form the urinary tract.
Function:
Transport urine out of the body.
List the functions of the urinary system?
Removal of waste products from the blood.
Storage and expulsion of urine.
Regulation of blood volume, erythrocyte production, ion levels and acid-base balance.
Label the organs of the urinary system?
Describe the location of the kidneys?
They sit directly against the posterior abdominal wall in the abdominal cavity.
Why are the kidneys considered retroperitoneal?
Because they are only covered by parietal peritoneum on their anterior surfaceonly covered by parietal peritoneum on their anterior surface.
Describe the function of the kidneys?
To regulate the blood and remove waste products from the blood to produce urine.
What surrounds the kidneys?
3 layers of tissue.
From internal to external, these are the fibrous capsule, perirenal fat capsule and renal fascia.
Identify what each layer of tissue covering the kidney is composed of?
Fibrous capsule = dense irregular connective tissue
Perirenal fat capsule = adipose tissue
Renal fascia = dense irregular connective tissue
List the function of each layer of tissue covering the kidneys?
Fibrous capsule:
Provides protection from traumatic injury and helps to prevent infections from entering the kidney.
Perirenal fat capsule:
Provides support to the kidney, helping to keep it in place.
Renal fascia:
It anchors the kidney to the posterior abdominal wall.
Name the internal regions of the kidneys?
Renal cortex (outer region)
Renal medulla (inner region)
Label the regions of the kidneys?
Label the parts of the kidneys?
Label the parts of the renal sinus inside the kidneys?
List the process of urine being transported from the kidneys to the urinary bladder?
Renal papilla -> minor calyces -> major calyces -> renal pelvis -> ureter –> urinary bladder
Which blood vessel supplies blood to the kidneys?
2 renal arteries, which is a branch of the abdominal aorta.
Describe the blood supply of the kidneys?
- Renal artery enters the hilum of the kidney and enters the renal sinus.
- Continues to branch to form afferent arterioles.
- The afferent arteriole forms a capillary network called the glomerulus within the nephron.
- Remaining blood flows out of the glomerulus into the efferent arterioles.
- The efferent arterioles branch into 2 capillary networks.
- The capillary networks form the renal vein.
- Renal vein exists the kidney at the hilum and drains into the inferior vena cava.
Describe the flowchart of the blood supply to the kidneys?
Renal arteries –> renal sinus –> branching to form afferent arterioles –> glomerulus capillary networks within the nephron –> efferent arterioles take the remaining blood –> branch into 2 capillary networks –> forms the renal vein –> exits the kidney –> drains into the inferior vena cava
How do nephrons form urine?
- Filtration:
Substances in the blood plasma are filtered out to produce filtrate. - Reabsorption:
Substances in the filtrate are returned to the blood (tubular fluid). - Secretion:
Solutes in the blood plasma are removed from the blood into tubular fluid.
What are the 2 main parts of a nephron?
Renal corpuscle
Renal tubule
What are the components of the renal corpuscle and renal tubule within a nephron?
Renal corpuscle:
Glomerulus and the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule.
Renal tubule:
Proximal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle and distal convoluted tubule.
What are the functions of the renal corpuscle and renal tubule within a nephron?
Renal corpuscle:
Filtration of blood plasma occurs.
Renal tubule:
Reabsorption and secretion of blood plasma occurs.
Describe what happens in the renal corpuscle?
Blood flows into the renal corpuscle through the afferent arteriole, is filtered to produce filtrate, and then the remaining blood flows out of the renal corpuscle through the efferent arteriole.
Identify the components of the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule?
Describe what happens in the renal tubule?
It receives the filtrate produced in the renal corpuscle and begins to modify it through these processes to produce tubular fluid.
Label the histology parts of the renal corpuscle?
Explain what collecting tubules and collecting ducts are composed of?
Collecting tubules:
Simple cuboidal epithelium.
Collecting ducts:
Simple columnar epithelium.
Label the medullary rays and collecting ducts?
Describe the location of the ureters?
They sit directly against the posterior abdominal wall and are therefore only covered by parietal peritoneum on their anterior surface, making them retroperitoneal.
Each ureter originates at the renal pelvis as it exits the hilum of the kidney and terminates by entering the urinary bladder.
Describe the function of the ureters?
The tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
Label the organs of the urinary tract?
Name the layers of the wall of the urinary tract?
Inner mucosa
Middle muscularis
Outer serosa or adventitia, depending on the organ
Explain the structure of the wall layers of the urinary tract?
Mucosa:
Transitional epithelium with an underlying lamina propria made of fibroelastic connective tissue.
Muscularis:
Two smooth muscle layers – an inner longitudinal layer and an outer circular layer.
Adventitia:
Areolar connective tissue
Label the ureter cross section and histology of the ureter?
Describe the location of the urinary bladder?
In the pelvic cavity directly posterior to the pubic symphysis, but can ascend slightly into the abdominal cavity when it is full.
Describe the function of the urinary bladder?
The muscular sac that stores urine until it is ready to be expelled from the body.
Describe the anatomical relations of the urinary bladder?
Males:
The urinary bladder sits directly anterior to the rectum and superior to the prostate gland.
Females:
The urinary bladder sits anteroinferior to the uterus and directly anterior to the vagina.
Label the parts of the urinary system?
Label the gross anatomy of the urinary bladder?
Name the muscle in the wall of the urinary bladder?
Detrusor muscle
Identify the composition of the 3 layers in the wall of the urinary bladder?
Mucosa:
Composed of transitional epithelium with an underlying lamina propria.
Muscularis:
Consists of a ‘detrusor’ smooth muscle that is arranged in 3 layers; an inner longitudinal layer, a middle circular layer and an outer longitudinal layer.
Adventitia/Serosa:
Adventitia (mostly) = areolar connective tissue, as it lies outside of the peritoneal cavity.
Outer layer = Serosa composed of simple squamous epithelium with underlying areolar connective tissue.
Label the histology of the walls of the urinary bladder?
Compare the function of the male and female urethres?
Females:
To transport urine out of the body.
Males:
1. To transport urine out of the body during micturition.
2. Conduct semen during ejaculation.
Compare the gross anatomy of the male and female urethres?
Females:
Female urethra is around 3cm - 5cm long.
Males:
Male urethra is around 18cm - 20cm long.
Identify the urethra in females?
Identify and name the different urethra regions for males?
Name the parts of the urinary system that the 3 male urethra regions go through?
Prostatic urethra:
Passes through the prostate gland.
Membranous urethra:
Passes through the membrane-like urogenital diaphragm.
Spongy urethra:
Passes through a specific mass of erectile tissue in the penis called the corpus spongiosum.
Order the steps in the formation of urine and its elimination from the body?
