Excretuon mvolves the elommatlon of the waste products of cellular metabolusm.

and It Includes
regulatnon oi the water and salt content
of the body. Regulatory tunctnone such as these are accomplished by the kidneys (1. 5. 7. 14) and
then accessory structures In the unnary system. The kndneys ere bean-shaped organs rougth about
the snze of the fist. They are located on each ende ot the vertebral column and usually extend from
the twelfth thoractc vertebra to the thtfd lumbar vertebra. The upper pomon of each kidney :3 m
contact wuth a part of the d aphragm. and the lett kidney (1, 14) touches the spleen. The right
kidney (5. 7) ts near the Iwer and is slightly tower than the left. Leadung from the kndneys are the
two tubes. the ureter: (2. 8). These tubes carry unne away from the ludney. The ureters lead to the
mam storage mgan. the urinary bladder (4. 10). The tube leadung from the bladder to the extenor
Is the urethra (3. 1 1). This tube of smooth muecIe us about one and a halt unches long in the
temaIe and about eight Inches Iong In the maIe as It passes through the penis.

An average adult ludney WBIQhS appromtatety live ounces and ieaboutthe

mzeofumheanAtnsmnawdmeadtbdneyus surrounded by a fibrous membrane known as the capsule
(18). The capsule helps mamtam the shape of the hdney. Within the sectmn of the kndney.
therearetwodustmctreguoun'l'heflstnthe renal cortex (17). the more super‘thaI area extendng
around the run of the kidney. Deep to the cortex :3 another mayor power: at the kidney known as
the renal medulla (16). thn the rend medula. the kudneyhasanumberotooneshapedmmcallednnd
pyramids (13). Appeanng as brushhke structures II the diagram. there are approxmately eight to
eighteen pyrarmds :1 each kidney. The pyramids are formed of bundles of tubules that oolect
unne.

Blood enter: the ludney through the venel artery (5) at the hulue. mmmmmwmwmateetotomtm
segmental arteries (4). Lemmg the segmental utory. blood flowe moan Woman.
Notehowthebloodhoweouttoward the cortex through the artery. Near the punctuon oi medth and
cortex heeuee, the Intertobu artery dmdee Md gavel use to several evcuete m0).
Notehowtheeeuteneetamercheeetthebaeeeotthe renal pyremude. From the acute enenee enee the
tutellobuler m(1).TheoonextumneuppIoedmthbloodbytheee utenee. They eventualy lead to utterent
mm 'I'he atterent enema enter e glomerulue (not ehown). Blood leaves the glomemlue m the
efferent arteriole and enter: e pentubulu upullery. The intettobuler vein (8) antes from the
pentubuler capillary and leads blood to the ereuete Mn (9) Arcane m lend btood to the Intertober
veins (10) The Intertobu vane unite to tom segmental veins (7). whsch come together to tom the
renelvetn(6).1hne vem loud. btood out 01 the ludney end complete. the curwot.

The Independent umt wuthm the Iodney that produces unne Is the nephron. There are
approxnmately one mnthon nephrone tn each kidney. Nephrons perform the tunctuone of
ftltratnon. reabsorpt on. and secret on. The multuon ov so nephrons of each ktdney some n the
same basnc set of tubular and vascular components. The renal artery (1) delwers blood to the
ludney, whute the tonal vein (2) removes at from the kidney. and the ureter (3) as responsible tor
carrymg unne away. That plate shows the two mam areas ot the tudney: the cortex (8) and the
medulla (9). Within the codex and medulla we present the outlmes at eight nephrons. Each of the
eight nephrone has a renal corpuscle (6). The renal corpueclea of comcat nephrons (5) have
tubular structures extendmg to the base of the renal pyram-d. By companson. the renal corpuscles
ot iuxtamedullary nephrons (7) have tubules extendmg deep Into the renal pyrarmd. The collecting
duct TOOGIVGS urine from many nephrone. The tubules assocnated wnth the other seven
nephrons are not shown In the dnagram.

Blood passes through a series of artenes. including the segmental, untedobar. arcuate. and finally
the interlobuler artery (12). A branch of thus artery :3 the afferent arteriole (13). Blood flows
throagh the vessel unto a tuft of captllanes called the glomerulus (15). Fultratuon takes place here.
then the blood leaves and enters a vessel called the efferent arteriole (14). The efferent arteriole
branches Into a network of capnllanes. the peritubular capillary network (2). As blood passes
through the glomerulus. it is forced mto the wall of the cupluke structure called Bowman‘s capsule
(10). (The oombmatuon of glomerulus and Bowman‘s capsule Is the renal corpuscle.) Blood flund
is forced out of the glomemlus into the walls of the Bowman‘s capsule, then into the remamder of
the tubular component. Fust encountered is the proximal convoluted tubule (16, 17). At this pomt,
useful substances such as water. SOdIum ions glucose, and ammo ac»ds are reabsorbed back to
the blood in the pentubular network.

The kidney is surrounded by three layers of supportive tissue. Immediately adhering to the kidney
surface IS the renal capsule (10). The capsule is composed of fibrous tissue providing an
impenetrab|e barrier to infection of the kidney surface. OutSIde the renal capsule is a middle
covering layer of fat called the adipose capsuIe (12). The tat tissue of the capsule helps cushion
the kidney against blows. Outsnde the adipose capsule is the renal fascia (3). The fascua IS
composed of dense fibrous connective tissue. It helps protect the kidney and adrenal glands while
anchoring these organs to the nearby ti55ues. Like many organs of the digestive system. the
kidneys lie OutSIde the peritoneal cavuty. This position is called retroperitoneal. The peritoneal
cavuty is bordered by the peritoneum (6).

As urine is produced in the kidney. it is carried to the urinary bladder for storage until It is
removed from the body. Located on the floor of the pelvuc cavuty. the urinary bladder is anterior
to the uterus and upper vagina in females. In this plate. the anterior wall of the
bladder has been removed in the female to reveal the interior surtace. Urine accumulates in the
bladder until it is full. then is released in the process of micturition. The urine flows from the
bladder at a point of the tngone called the neck of the bladder. Here it enters a thin-walled
muscular tube called the urethra (2). In both the male and female, there IS an internal urethral
sphincter at the neck of the urinary bladder. This thickening of the detrusor muscle (9) is an
involuntary sphincter that closes the urethra when urine is not passung through. The urethra is
very short (ab0ut one and one half inches) In the female and passes through the urogenital
diaphragm (3) before terminating at the orifice of the urethra (2). The passageway through the
mogemtal diaphragm is controlled by a circular muscle called the external urethral sphincter (5). A
muscle called the levator ani also constructs the urethra. In the female. the urethra carries only
urine. but in the male the urethra conveys semen as well as urine to the exterior.
The unnary bladder stores unne and releases it to the urethra through the Internal urethral onhce.
Remember that the urethra has three Important regions: the prostatic urethra (16). which passes
through the prostate gland; the membranous urethra (14). whuch is the passageway through the
urogenital diaphragm; and the spongy urethra (I 3). which is the passageway through the penis. In
the prostatuc urethra. we observe the ontnces of the egaculatory duct. The ejaculatory duct carnes
secretions from the seminal vesucle and sperm from the ductus deferens. At this point, both enter
the urethra. Note also the tmy pea-sized bulbourethral gland at the urogenital diaphragm (10).
These glands also send their secretions to the urethra. In the female. the urethra carries only urine,
but In the male the urethra conveys semen as well as urine to the exterior. Thus It services both the
unnary and reproductive systems.