Urinary Tract

Question 1

Nephron

Answer 1

Functional unit of kidney that is responsible for the resorption of water and filtration of blood

Question 2

Renal corpuscle

Answer 2

Glomerulus (visceral) and Bowmen’s capsule (parietal) filters blood

Question 3

Proximal tubule

Answer 3

Convoluted tubule adjacent to the renal corpuscle. Prominent microvilli brush border. Absorbs most of the water from the filtrate. Surrounded by vasculature.

Question 4

Loop of Henle

Answer 4

thick descending, thin descending (shorter), thin ascending (longer) and thick ascending duct

Question 5

Distal tubule

Answer 5

Thick ascending duct and thick convoluted tubule. Contains abundant mitochondria. NO absorption in the ascending

Question 6

Macula densa

Answer 6

Region of specialized cells in the distal convoluted tubule that controls flow of blood into renal corpuscle by stimulating adjacent juxtaglomerular cells to release renin

Question 7

Glomerulus

Answer 7

Corpuscle that contains highly branches arterioles and

capillaries that form the filtrate.

Question 8

Renin

Answer 8

Secreted by juxtaglomerular cells. Causes an increase in blood flow and pressure within the glomerulus. Gives feedback for filtration to the new cells that are entering the tubules.

Question 9

Podocytes

Answer 9

Cell bodies within the glomerulus that have epithelial cytoplasm branches that surround capillaries and form filtration slits to facilitate the filtration of blood

Question 10

Pedicels

Answer 10

Foot processes that surround the terminal ends of the capillaries, area where blood squeezes through from the capillaries into the urinary space.

Question 11

Mesangial cells

Answer 11

Clean up the basement membrane of debris from around the capillaries

Question 12

Filtration membrane

Answer 12

Consist of a fenestrated capillary membrane, thick basement membrane, and a filtration slit diaphragm between pedicles.

Question 13

Filtrate

Answer 13

Water, glucose, amino acids, ions, urea, hormones, vitamins, and very small amounts of proteins

Question 14

Aldosterone

Answer 14

promotes Na+ and water reabsorption in the distal convoluted tubules and collecting ducts.

Question 15

Vasopressin (ADH)

Answer 15

increases permeability of collecting ducts to water which is osmotically pulled from the filtrate.

Question 16

Vasa recta

Answer 16

Extensive vasculature surrounding the loop of Henle. Important for reabsorbing most of the water and some of the Na ions

Question 17

Cortex

Answer 17

Contains the corpuscles

Question 18

Medulla

Answer 18

Contains the tubules

Question 19

Layers of the medulla

Answer 19

Outer stripe -> Inner stripe -> Inner zone

Question 20

Outer stripe

Answer 20

Thick descending and thick ascending tubule. Collecting duct

Question 21

Inner stripe

Answer 21

Thick ascending and thin segment. Collecting duct

Question 22

Inner zone

Answer 22

Thin segments. Collecting duct

Question 23

Collecting duct

Answer 23

Resorb water in response to vasopressin. Prominent intercellular borders. Scant mitochondria.

Question 24

Renal papilla

Answer 24

Filtrate converges here and empties into calyces which drains into the ureter.

Question 25

Ureter

Answer 25

Transitional epithelium surrounded by smooth muscle. Contains binucleated cells