Urinary System Flashcards
term meaning “behind the peritoneum”
retroperitoneum
structure that transports urine from bladder to outside
urethra
type of nephron with long loops of Henle
juxtamedullary nephron
type of nephron with short loops of Henle
cortical nephron
triangular area on floor of urinary bladder; consisting of the two posterior openings of the ureters and the anterior urethral opening
trigone
smooth muscle layer in urinary bladder
detrusor muscle
type of epithelial tissue lining the interior or urinary bladder
transitional epithelium
folds in mucosa of urinary bladder
rugae
capillary network within the Bowman’s capsule
glomerular
capillary network around nephron tubules
peritubular capillaries
process that only occurs in the Bowman’s capsule
filtration
process where substances are taken back out of the nephron and put back into blood
reabsorption
process where substances remaining in blood are actively transported into the nephron
secretion
inner region of kidney that contains the loops of Henle and collecting ducts
medulla
outer region of kidney that contains the Bowman’s capsules and convoluted tubules
renal cortex
list the structures from the beginning of the formation of filtrate to where urine is expelled to the outside, in order;
- Bowman’s (glomerular) capsule, 2. Proximal convoluted tubule, 3. Loop of Henle, 4. Distal convoluted tubule, 5, Collecting duct, 6. Papillae/papillary duct, 7. Minor calyx, 8. Major calyx, 9. Renal pelvis, 10. Ureter, 11. Urinary bladder, 12. Urethra
list the blood vessels in order of blood flow;
- Aorta, 2. Renal artery, 3. Segmental artery, 4. Interlobar artery, 5. Arcuate artery, 6. Cortical radiate artery, 7. Afferent arteriole, 8. Glomerulus, 9. Efferent arteriole, 10. Peritubular capillaries/vasa recta, 11. Cortical radiate vein, 12. Arcuate vein, 13. Interlobar vein, 14. Renal vein, 15. Inferior vena cava
functions of the urinary system:
- remove waste products such as urea and ammonia from blood
- regulating the fluid volume, the acid-base balance, and the electrolyte balance of blood
the overall gross anatomy of the urinary system includes the:
kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and the urethra
location of kidneys:
posterior abdominal wall
which kidney is slightly lower than the other? why?
the right kidney is slightly lower than the left because of the liver above it
true or false:
both kidneys are behind the peritoneum
true
each kidney has a fibrous renal capsule for what purpose?
protection against infection
each kidney has an adipose capsule for what purpose?
help cushion and hold the kidney in place
In anorexic patients, the adipose tissue is depleted. This can cause:
nephroptosis (where the kidney can drop down too low or even become detached from the wall)
How will nephroptosis affect urine flow?
- builds pressure in the kidneys and damage it
- “kink” the ureter
on the medial side of each kidney is the:
hilum
the renal artery and vein, the ureter, nerves, and lymphatic vessels can enter/leave the kidney here:
hilum
What connects the kidneys to the urinary bladder on its posterior-inferior surface?
ureters
What prevents urine from backing up into the ureters when the bladder contracts?
a small flap of tissue
urine is moved down to the urinary bladder by:
- peristalsis
- gravity
- hydrostatic pressure
urinary bladder location:
under the peritoneum at the base of the pelvic cavity
urinary bladder function:
serves as a temporary storage site for urine
How many layers of tissue make up the bladder?
three
outer layer of the urinary bladder:
peritoneum (only on the top of the bladder) and the adventitia on the sides of the bladder
middle layer of the urinary bladder:
is three layers of smooth muscle called the detrusor muscle; activation of the detrusor muscle will contract the urinary bladder, expelling the urine
Certain medications help suppress the activity of the detrusor muscle. Which problem are these medications used to treat?
- overactive bladder, incontienence (bladder leakage)
- medication = detro
inner layer of the urinary bladder:
mucosa composed of transitional epithelium
in an empty bladder, what wrinkles/folds can be seen?
rugae
Why is the trigone area clinically important?
bladder infections usually start and persist in this area
the female urethra is short
1.5 inches
the male urethra is longer than females
8 inches (approx.)
true or false:
the male urethra is used for both urinary and reproductive systems
true
There are three regions of the male urethra:
- prostatic urethra
- membranous urethra
- spongy (penile) urethra
The prostatic urethra:
runs through the prostate gland
The membranous urethra:
is just the section of the urethra that passes through the urogenital diaphragm
true or false:
in both males and females, there are two urethral sphincters to prevent urine from flowing
true
The internal urethral sphincter:
is made of smooth muscle, is located at the opening of the urethra in the bladder wall
The external urethral sphincter:
is made of skeletal muscle, is located at the urogenital diaphragm
When a young child is being potty-trained, which urethral sphincter is he/she learning to control?
external urethral sphincter
The kidney has three basic regions:
- renal cortex
- renal medulla
- renal sinus
The renal cortex:
is the outer layer of tissue; it contains the renal corpuscles (glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule) and the proximal and distal convoluted tubules; the cortex extends down the columns of the medulla
The renal medulla region:
is made up of the renal pyramids and the columns; the pyramids contain the nephron loops (loops of Henle) and the collecting ducts; the collecting ducts all converge, producing the cone-shaped appearance of the pyramids; at the tips of the pyramids are the papilla - here urine from the collecting ducts drain into the renal sinus; the columns contain the interlobar arteries and veins
The renal sinus:
is the area next to the hilum; it contains all the urine-collecting structures (the calyces and pelvis), blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and nerves; adipose tissues fills up any remaining spaces
As urine drains from the papilla (the tips of the pyramids), urine flows to the outside:
papilla - minor calyces - major calyces - renal pelvis - ureter
The functional unit of the urinary system:
nephron
There are approximately how many nephrons in each kidney?
one million nephrons
The structure of the nephron, in order of filtration, is:
Bowman’s (glomerular) capsule - proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) - loop of Henle (nephron loop) - distal convoluted tubule (DCT) - collecting duct
There are three physiological processes that occur in the nephron:
- Filtration
- Reabsorption
- Secretion
Where is blood filtered?
the glomerulus
Everything is freely filtered at the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule EXCEPT:
erythrocytes (RBC’s) and plasma proteins
Finding glucose in the urine would indicate what disorder?
diabetes mellitus
There are two types of nephrons:
- cortical nephrons
- juxtamedullary nephrons
Most of the nephrons in the kidney (80-85%); These are primarily found in the cortex of the kidney and have short loops of Henle; Peritubular capillaries are found around these tubules
cortical nephrons
(15-20% of the total) which have long nephron loops; These long loops extend deep into the medulla pyramids and are covered by the vasa recta capillaries; extremely important in concentrating the urine
juxtamedullary nephrons
The juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA) is found:
where the afferent arteriole and ascending limb of loop of Henle touch (both regulate blood pressure and filtration rate)
The macula densa cells are found on one side of the tubule; they regulate by
sensing NaCl levels
The juxtaglomerular (JG) or granular cells are found in the wall of the afferent arteriole; they regulate
blood pressure by producing renin
