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