Urinary tract Flashcards
What are the approximate dimensions of the kidneys?
11 cm
Describe the position of the kidney with respect to the abdominal cavity, thoracic cavity and vertebral column
- each kidney lies on the posterior abdominal, lateral to the vertebral column
- in the position where person is lying upwards, kidneys extend from T12 to L3
Why are the kidneys not exactly the same level?
- right kidney is slightly larger because the liver is in-front of it (large right lobe)
What is the hilium of the kidney and which structures are involved?
The recessed centre of the kidney, where its vessels. nerves & ureters pass
What is the arrangement of vessels in the hilium of the kidney?
FROM ANTERIOR TO POSTERIOR:
- renal vein exits
- renal artery enters
- renal pelvis exits the kidney
What is the blood supply to the kidneys and what volume per minute?
Renal artery and vein
- blood flows at 125 ml/min
What is the function of the ureters? How long are they?
The ureters transport urine from the kidney to the bladder
- 25 cm
Orientation of the ureters?
retro-peritoneal
How do the ureters enter the bladder?
The ureters pierce the bladder wall in its lateral aspect, in an oblique manner
Describe the function of the bladder?
muscular sac in the pelvis that stores urine, allowing urination to be infrequent and controlled.
Shape and orientation of the bladder
3 sided pyramid with the apex pointing to the pubic symphysis
What is meant by the bladder trigone? which structures enter/leave it?
Smooth, triangular region of the internal urinary bladder formed by the 2 ureters and 1 urethra
How is continence maintained?
Internal and external sphincters
Trabeculated meaning
The bladder muscle has thickened over time -> trabecular pattern of criss-crossing lines/partitions dividing the bladder cavity
What is the difference in size between the urethra in males and females and what is the reason?
females: 4cm, males: 20cm
- females are more prone to infections
