Urinary System Histology

Question 1

Which kidney is more superiorly oriented?

Answer 1

The left kidney

Question 2

Kidneys do what?

3 things

Answer 2

1. Filter blood to keep it pure
2. Disposal of nitrogenous waste
3. Regulate water and electrolyte balance, acids and bases

Question 3

The outer layer of the kidney capsule is made primarily of what?

Answer 3

Collagen and fibroblasts

Question 4

The renal cortex is composed of what?

Answer 4

Renal corpuscles and associated tubules

Question 5

The renal medulla is composed of what?

Answer 5

straight tubules, collecting ducts and vasa recta

Question 6

A renal lobe consists of what?

Answer 6

Think ice cream cone:
A renal pyramid
Its overlying cortex
One half of each of the adjacent renal columns

Question 7

Know the flow of blood through the kidney.

Answer 7

See slides 10 and 11 of this histo lecture

Question 8

During filtration, what happens?

Answer 8

Fluid is squeezed out of the glomerular capillary bed

Question 9

What happens during resorption?

Answer 9

Most nutrients, water and essential ions are returned to the blood of the peritubular capillaries

Question 10

What happens during secretion?

Answer 10

Secretion moves additional undesirable molecules into the tubule from the blood of peritubular capillaries

Question 11

What is the structural and functional unit of the kidney?

Answer 11

The nephron

Question 12

What are the two parts of the nephron?

Answer 12

The renal corpuscle

The renal tubule

Question 13

What happens in the renal tubule?

Answer 13

This is where tubular reabsorption and secretion occurs

Question 14

Each nephron drains into where?

Answer 14

A collecting tubule/duct

Question 15

The nephron plus its collecting tubule is called what?

Answer 15

The uriniferous tubule

Question 16

T/F- medullary rays are named for their destination instead of their location.

Answer 16

True

Question 17

What are the two components of the renal corpuscle?

Answer 17

The glomerulus (capillaries)
Bowmans capsule (a double walled cup enclosing the glomerulus)

Question 18

T/F bowman’s capsule has two layers- the visceral or external layer and the parietal or internal layer?

Answer 18

False- it does have two layers, but the visceral layer is the internal layer and the parietal layer is the external layer

Question 19

What is the vascular pole of a renal corpuscle?

Answer 19

It is where afferent and efferent arterioles enter and exit

Question 20

What is the urinary/tubular pole of a renal corpuscle?

Answer 20

It is where filtrate exits bowman’s space and enters the proximal convoluted tube

Question 21

What are the simple squamous epithelial cells that come in contact with glomerular capillaries?

Answer 21

Podocytes

Question 22

What are pedicels?

Answer 22

They are extensions of podocytes

Question 23

What is the space between two pedicels?

Answer 23

A filtration slit

Question 24

What is the semipermeable membrane that covers the filtration slit?

Answer 24

Slit diaphragm

Question 25

Can RBCs pass through the slit diaphragm? Why/ why not?

Answer 25

Nope, they're too big

Question 26

The parietal layer of bowman's capsule is made up of what kind of cells?

Answer 26

Simple squamous epithelium

Question 27

The renal tubule consists of what three things?

Answer 27

1. Proximal convoluted tubule 2. Loop of Helne 3. Distal convoluted tube (ultimately goes from the DCT to a collecting duct and then to the bladder)

Question 28

Which part of the renal tubule extends into the renal medulla?

Answer 28

The Loop of Henle

Question 29

The thin descending limb is highly permeable to what?

Answer 29

Water

Question 30

The thin ascending limb is highly permeable to what?

Answer 30

Sodium | Chloride

Question 31

The proximal convoluted tubule is confined to what?

Answer 31

The renal cortex

Question 32

The PCT has a brush border made of what?

Answer 32

Long microvilli

Question 33

The thick descending limb of the loop of Henle is made of what kind of cells?

Answer 33

Simple cuboidal epithelial

Question 34

T thin descending limb of the loop of Henle is made of what kind of cells?

Answer 34

Simple squamous epithelial

Question 35

The thin ascending limb of the loop of Henle is made of what kind of cells?

Answer 35

Simple squamous epithelial

Question 36

The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henle is made of what kind of cells?

Answer 36

Simple cuboidal epithelial

Question 37

Does the DCT have a brush border?

Answer 37

Nope

Question 38

What is the juxtaglomerular apparatus?

Answer 38

It is the structure where the afferent arteriole makes contact with the ascending limb of the loop of Henle

Question 39

What is the juxtaglomerular apparatus composed of?

Answer 39

Macula densa and juxtaglomerular cells

Question 40

The collecting ducts do what?

Answer 40

Collect urine from the DCT

Question 41

The collecting ducts are lined with what?

Answer 41

Simple cuboidal epithelium

Question 42

How are collecting duct cells differentiated from loop of Henle cells?

Answer 42

They are very crisp-very distinct borders- very differentiated from one another- larger lumen than everything else

Question 43

What is the path of urine through the kidneys to the urethra?

Answer 43

Collecting tubules--collecting ducts--papillary ducts (ducts of Bellin)--minor calyx--major calyx--renal pelvis --ureter--urinary bladder--urethra

Question 44

What are some more characteristics of collecting duct histology?

Answer 44

Clear cytoplasm and defined/distinct cell membranes

Question 45

What are the four layers of the walls of the calyces, renal pelvis, ureter and urinary bladder?

Answer 45

Mucosa (has transitional epithelium) Submucosa Muscularis (has smooth muscle) Adventitia

Question 46

How is urine moved through the ureter?

Answer 46

Peristalsis of the smooth muscle

Question 47

How long is a ureter?

Answer 47

10-12 inches

Question 48

What is the capacity of the urinary bladder?

Answer 48

about 250 ml

Question 49

What type of cells make up the prostatic urethra?

Answer 49

urothelium

Question 50

What type of cells make up the membranous urethra?

Answer 50

stratified columnar epithelium & pseudostratified columnar | epithelium

Question 51

What type of cells make up the spongy urethra?

Answer 51

stratified columnar & pseudostratified columnar

Question 52

In females, what type of cells make up the prostatic urethra?

Answer 52

initially urothelium and then stratified squamous epithelium