Urinary System Flashcards
components of the Urinary System
– Kidneys
– Urinary Tract
* Ureters
* Urinary Bladder
* Urethra
Functions of the Urinary System
- Excretion by the Kidneys:
– removal of organic wastes from body fluids - Elimination by the Urinary Tract:
– discharge of waste products - Homeostatic regulation of plasma volume and solute
concentrations by the kidneys:
– Blood volume, BP
– Concentration of ions
– Stabilize blood pH
– Conserve nutrients
– Assist liver: deamination, detoxification - Other kidney functions:
– Gluconeogenesis during starvation
– Produce renin to regulate BP
– Produce erythropoietin for RBC production
– Convert Vitamin D to calcitriol for calcium absorption in the GI tract
Kidneys
- 1% body weight
- Retroperitoneal, posterior abdominal wall
- Adrenal gland anchored superior
3 layers CT anchor kidneys
- Renal capsule:
- collagen fibers covering organ - Adipose capsule:
- adipose cushion around the renal capsule - Renal fascia:
- collagen fibers fused to renal capsule and deep
fascia of body wall and peritoneum
Renal ptosis
floating kidney
– Cause → Starvation or injury
– Result → Kidney becomes loose from body wall
* Kidney could twist blood vessels or ureters
Hilum
– Point of entry for renal artery and renal nerves
– Ureters enter and exit
* Hilum opens to renal sinus
* Renal sinus lined with renal capsule that is contiguous with outside
Kidney has two layers
cortex and medulla
cortex
superficial
* Contact renal capsule
* Houses filtration structures = nephrons
medulla
6-18 renal pyramids
* Parallel bundles of collection tubules
* Apex = papilla, points toward renal sinus
kidney divided into sections
renal lobes
– renal pyramid + surrounding cortex called renal columns
– Lobe is site for urine production
renal sinus
- Internal cavity within kidney
- Lined by fibrous renal capsule
– Bound to outer surfaces of structures in renal sinus
– Stabilizes positions of ureter, renal blood vessels, and nerves
renal papilla
Ducts discharge urine into minor calyx, a cup-shaped drain
major calyx
Formed by four or five minor calyces
renal pelvis
– Fills majority of renal sinus
– Funnels urine into ureters
Nephron
– Microscopic, tubular structures in cortex of each
renal lobe
– Where urine production begins
Pyelonephritis
– Inflammation of kidney
– Infection usually enters from ureter and spreads up
through ducts to nephron
Two important capillary beds associated with each
nephron
- Glomerulus capillary:
- filtration - Peritubular capillaries:
- reclaim filtrate, concentrate urine
* Both connected to arterioles only (not for oxygen
exchange)
* Afferent arteriole → capillary → efferent arteriole
Blood Supply and Innervation to Kidney
- Receives 20-25% cardiac output
- Highly vascularized, many capillaries involved in
filtration (nephrons) - Innervation from Renal Plexus controlled by ANS
- Most is sympathetic to
1. Adjust rate of urine formation - Change blood pressure (BP) and flow at nephron
2. Stimulate release of renin - Restricts water and sodium loss at nephron
The Nephron
Consists of renal corpuscle and renal tubule
Renal corpuscle
- Spherical structure consisting of:
– Glomerular capsule (Bowman’s capsule)
– Cup-shaped chamber
– Capillary network (glomerulus)
Renal tubule
- Long tubular passageway
- Begins at renal corpuscle
collecting system
- A series of tubes that carries tubular fluid away
from nephron
Each nephron empties into it
collecting ducts
- Receive fluid from many nephrons
- Each collecting duct:
– Begins in cortex
– Descends into medulla
– Carries fluid to papillary duct that drains into a
minor calyx
Two types of nephrons
Cortical nephron
Juxtamedullary nephrons
Cortical nephron
Majority
* In cortex, short loop of Henle
Juxtamedullary nephrons
15%
* At cortex/medulla interface
* Long loops of Henle
* Important for water conservation and urine
concentration
Renal Corpuscle
- Site of filtration
- 2 parts- glomerular capsule, glomerulus
glomerular capsule
Thin parietal epithelium, forms capsule around
glomerulus
Glomerulus structure
- Fenestrated capillaries covered by podocytes
- Podocytes are on the visceral epithelium
– Wrapped around the capillaries, to create filtration
slits on surface of capillaries
– Slits smaller than fenestrations in glomerular
capillaries to restrict filtration of large molecules
Glomerulus
- Consists of about 50 intertwining capillaries
- Blood delivered via afferent arteriole
- Blood leaves in efferent arteriole:
– flows into peritubular capillaries
– which drain into small venules
– and return blood to venous system
Golmerulonephritis
– Inflammation of glomeruli
– Prevents filtration
– Can be result of antigen/Ab complexes
trapped in filtration slits following allergy or
blood infection
renal tubule
- Reabsorption to process raw filtrate into urine
- 3 parts- PCT, loop of Henle, DCT
PCT (proximal convoluted tubules)
- Simple cuboidal epithelium with microvilli
- Reabsorbs organic nutrients, ions, water, small plasma
proteins from filtrate exiting glomerular capsule
Loop of Henle
- Simple squamous epithelium
- Reabsorbs Na+, Cl-, H2O form filtrate
- Important to regulate volume and solute concentration
of urine - Descending and ascending limbs
DCT (distal convoluted tubules)
- Simple cuboidal epithelium
- Flat surface
- Four important functions
1. Secretion
2. Reabsorb Na+ and Ca++ from filtrate
3. Optional H2O reabsorption from filtrate under
hormonal control
4. Contribute to formation of Juxtaglomerular
Apparatus
Juxtaglomerular Apparatus (JGA) consists of two cell types
- Endocrine cells of DCT = macula densa
- Granular cells of afferent arteriole =
Juxtaglomerular cells
Together cells in JGA monitor blood and produce
- Renin: Enzyme, restricts Na+ and H2O at nephron
- Erythropoietin: hormone, stimulates RBC
production
The Collecting System
The distal convoluted tubule opens into the collecting
system
– Individual nephrons drain into a nearby collecting duct
– Several collecting ducts:
* Converge into a larger papillary duct
* Which empties into a minor calyx; major calyx
– Transports tubular fluid from nephron to renal pelvis
– Adjusts fluid composition
– Determines final osmotic concentration and volume of urine
Polycystic Kidney Disease
Genetic, cysts form that cause swelling of kidney tubules, compression reduces function
Urine Transport, Storage, and Elimination
Take place in the urinary tract
* Ureters
* Urinary bladder
* Urethra
Structures involved in Urine Transport, Storage, and Elimination
Minor and major calyces, renal pelvis, ureters,
urinary bladder, and proximal portion of
urethra
* Are lined by transitional epithelium
* That undergoes cycles of distention and contraction
Ureters
– Connect renal pelvis to urinary bladder
– Wall layers
1. Inner mucosa
– Transitional epithelium and lamina propria
2. Middle muscular layer
– Longitudinal and circular bands of smooth muscle
3. Outer connective tissue layer
– Continuous with fibrous renal capsule and peritoneum
– Contractions occur every 30 sec to force urine toward
bladder
Urinary Bladder
– Wall folded into rugae when empty – allows expantion
– Wall layers
* Mucosa with transitional epithelium
* Muscularis layer with 3 layers of smooth muscle =
detrusor muscle
1. Contraction causes expulsion of urine from bladder
2. Detrusor muscle thickened around urethral opening to
create the internal urethral sphincter
» Provides involuntary control over release of urine
* Adventitia = Fibrous, Anchors bladder to pelvic
floor
Urethra
– Single tube, connects bladder to environment
– Lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium
– Passes through band of skeletal muscle that forms
external urethral sphincter
* under voluntary control
* relaxation results in urination (micturition)
Kidneys help regulate:
– blood volume and pressure
– ion levels
– blood pH
Nephrons are
primary functional units of
kidneys