US Lecture 1 - The Kidney and Urinary Tract Flashcards
What does the kidney and urinary tract comprise?
Kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra
Where are the kidneys located?
In upper abdomen - RETROPERITONEAL, surrounded by dense fibrous capsule, which has renal fascia containing the peri-renal adipose tissue
What overlaps the kidneys?
The diaphragm posteriorly and the pleural cavity superiorly
What is the difference between the location of the right and the left kidney?
Right kidney is slightly lower than the left - superior pole of RK lies at 11th intercostal space and LK at 11th rib
Where are the hilums of the kidneys located?
Around L1
Fill in the blanks of the urinary system
What are the anterior relations of the kidney?
Right: liver, hepatic flexure and hilus lies behind 2nd part of duodenum Left: stomach, pancreas, spleen and splenic flexure
How are the kidneys supplied with blood?
Via renal arteries (short direct branches from abdominal aorta), BP drives ultrafiltration Renal vein drains into IVC
What does the abdomen vasculature look like in relation to the kidneys? - Fill in the blanks
What is the basic structure of the kidney? - FITB
Why does the cortex look granular?
Due to random organisation
Why is the medulla of the kidney striated?
Due to radial arrangement of tubules and micro-vessels
What is the kidney split into and why is that important?
It is multilobar, so each lobe drains through its own papilla and calyx
What does the structure of the inside of the kidney look like? FITB
Where are the ureters located?
Run vertically down posterior abdominal wall in the plane of the tips of the transverse processes of the lumbar vertebrae Crosses pelvic brim anterior to sacro-iliac joint and bifurcation of common iliac arteries
How do the ureters descend down the abdominal cavity?
Anteromedially to enter bladder at the level of ischial spine - need to go around the rectum (and vagina in females) to reach the bladder
How does urine travel down the ureter?
By peristalsis in the smooth muscle walls of the ureters - open diagonally through bladder wall