Urinary System Flashcards
What four organs and vessels make up the Urinary System?
Kidney
Ureter
Urinary Bladder
Urethra
What are the 4 functions of the blood?
Filter blood
Regulation of blood volume, ph, solutes
Synthesis of Vitamin D
Synthesis of Erythropoietin
What does it mean that the kidneys are retro-peritoneal?
They are not covered by the peritoneum.
What are the anatomical differences between the right and left kidney?
Right kidney is slightly lower because liver pushes it down.
Left kidney is slightly longer and bigger.
What is the renal capsule?
The fibrous connective tissue that surrounds the entire organ of the kidney.
What is the function of the renal fascia?
It anchors the kidneys to surrounding adipose tissue and the abdominal wall.
What is the function of the hilus of the kidneys?
Where renal arteries, veins, nerves and ureters enter and exit the kidneys. The hilus causes the renal sinus in the kidneys.
What are the renal columns?
The projections of the renal cortex that extend between the pyramids of the kidney.
What are the renal pyramids?
The cone shaped area of the kidneys.
What are the calyces of the kidneys?
They are small cups that collect urine to be drained into the ureters.
What are the two calyces?
Minor calyces and Major calyces
Where to the calyces drain their urine into?
Minor calyces drains into the major calyces
major calycses drains into the renal pelvis.
Where does the renal pelvis drain its urine into?
Ureters
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
Nephron
What are the 4 parts of the nephron?
Bowman’s capsule – capsule that surrounds the glomerulus.
Proximal Tubule
Distal Tubule
Loop of Henle
Where is urine formed?
Nephron
Where does urine go once the nephron produces it?
The nephron first empties into the collecting ducts where it then reaches the papillary ducts, minor calyses, major calyses, and then the renal pelvis.
What are the two different types of nephrons?
Juxtamedullary Nephron
Cortical Nephron
What is the difference between the juxtamedullary nephron and cortical nephron?
The Juxtamedullary nephron has a loop of henle that extend deep into the medulla.
Cortical Nephron has a loop of henle that stays nearer to the cortex.
What is the glomerulus?
A network of blood capillaries.
What are the two layers of the Bowman’s capsule?
Parietal and Visceral layers
Describe the parietal layer of the bowman’s capsule?
Simple squamous epithelium that becomes cube-shaped when it reaches its end.
Describe the visceral layer of the bowman’s capsule?
Built up of podocytes that wrap around the glomerular capillaries.
What is the structure of the filtration membrane within the bowman’s capsule?
Where the wall of the capillaries are up against the walls of the podocyte.
What is the first stage of urine formation
Occurs when fluid from blood in capillaries move across the filtration membrane into the lumen of the bowman’s capsule through the capillaries smal fenestrae or pores.
What is the function of the Afferent Arteriole?
To transport blood to the glomerulus.
What is the function of the efference arteriole?
To carry blood that has been filtered away from the glomerulus.
In what area of the nephron is the fluid finally converted into urine?
Distal Tubule
What happens in the proximal tubule?
If there was too much taken from the blood it has a chance to be returned into the circulation.
What happens in the loop of henle?
If something wasn’t filtered from the blood there is a second chance for filtration here.
What are the four major areas of the nephron?
Bowman’s Capsule
Proximal Tubule
Loops of Henle
Distal Tubule
Where do the renal arteries branch from and then enter in each kidney?
Branch from the abdominal aorta and enter into the renal sinus.
What are the five areas of circulation through the kidneys?
Afferent arterioles: supply blood to glomerulus
Glomerulus: yarn ball of capillaries in bowman capsule.
Efferent arterioles: capillary that exits capsule.
Peritubular capillaries: Surround the proximal and distal tubules.
Vasa Recta: surround loop of henle in the medulla.
What are the three processes in urine formation?
Glomerulal Filtration (GF): Movement of material between capillaries and bowman’s capsule.
Tubular Reabsoption (TR): Reabsorbs materials back into blood if there was too much taken.
Tubular Secretion (TS): Checks if something was left behind that wasn’t absorbed from blood.
What is the composition of glomerulal filtrate?
Consists of small dissolved molecules and water.
Where does glomerulal filtration take place?
Between the glomerulus and bowman’s capsule.
Where does tubular reabsortion take place?
Mostly in the proximal tubule.
Where does tubular secretion take place?
Mostly in the distal tubule and loop of henle
What happens to the urine concentration when you consume large amounts of water?
There is a large amount of dilute urine produced to eliminate excess water without losing large amounts of electrolytes.
What happens to the urine concentration when there is no water consumed?
A small amount of very concentrated urine produced to prevent rapid dehydration while still removing waste.
What type of urine movement forces urine through the nephron?
Hydrostatic Pressure
What type of urine movement moves urine through the ureters?
Peristalsis
How does parasympathetic and sympathetic stimulation affect frequency of urination?
Parasympathetic Stimulation: Increase frequency
Sympathetic Stimulation: Decrease frequency
What is the function of the ureters?
Brings urine from renal pelvis to urinary bladder.
What is the function of the urinary bladder?
Stores urine in its hollow muscular container.
What is the trigone?
Triangular area between the entry of the two ureters and the exit of the urethra.
What is the function of the urethra?
Muscular tube that transports urine to the outside of the body.
