Self-study: Overview of the urinary system

Kidney Cortex

Renal artery
Renal vein
Nephrons
Aorta
Cortex Medulla
Inferior
Renal
vena cava
pelvis Medulla
Collecting
Ureter duct
Bladder
Ureter
Urethra

a) The components of the urinary system. b) Internal structure of the kidney. c) The cortex and medulla of the kidney
are composed of numerous nephrons.

Kidney function: homeostasis

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 15.2
Fig. 44-14d
Afferent arteriole Glomerulus
from renal artery Bowman’s capsule
10 µm
SEM Proximal tubule
Peritubular capillaries

Efferent
arteriole from
Trace the glomerulus Distal
tubule
path of Branch of
renal vein Collecting
blood flow Descending duct
limb
through the
kidneys Loop of
Henle Ascending
limb Vasa
recta

(d) Filtrate and blood flow

Nephrons produce urine
 Glomerular
capsule
Glomerulus
1 in other nephron segments.
Glomerular filtration:
Water, ions, glucose,
amino acids, bicarbonate,
and waste products
(urea, creatinine) are
filtered from the glomerular
capillaries into the space
within the glomerular capsule.
Afferent Efferent
arteriole arteriole 3
Tubular secretion:
Some drugs, waste products,
and ions (primarily hydrogen,
ammonium, and potassium)
are actively secreted from the
peritubular capillaries primarily
into the distal tubule but also
Proximal tubule
Distal tubule

Collecting duct
2
Tubular reabsorption:
Water, amino acids,
glucose, most ions
(including bicarbonate),
and some urea are
reabsorbed back into the
Artery Vein peritubular capillaries,
primarily in the proximal
tubule but also in other
nephron segments.

Urine

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 15.6

Formation of Urine: Glomerular Filtration

1. Glomerular filtration: movement of

protein-free solution of fluid and solutes
from blood (glomerular capillaries) into the
glomerular capsule
How does blood enter and leave the
glomerulus?

What are the roles of pressure/s and filtration

structures in glomerular filtration?
 Structure-Function: Filtration barrier
Glomerular Glomerular Glomerulus Blood flow
capsule space
Movement of glomerular filtrate

Afferent arteriole

Efferent arteriole

a) The outer surface of Podocyte

several glomerular
capillaries.

Filtrate

Proximal tubule Capillary wall

b) A highly magnified view of the inner surface

of a single glomerular capillary, revealing its
porous sievelike structure.

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 15.7

 Filtration membrane: 3 layers

Animal Physiology: mechanisms and adaptations 4th ed. Randall, Burggren & French
Filtration: blood pressure in the glomerulus forces
protein free plasma through the pores in filtration
membrane into the capsular space

Most proteins in blood are too large to fit through

the filtration slits.
Filtration – blood pressure

Note relative diameters of afferent and efferent arterioles

 Filtration in the nephron - Pressure

Which three pressures combine to determine the net

filtration pressure? Which pressure(s) promote filtration?
Which pressure(s) oppose filtration?
 Glomerular Filtration - pressure
• Forces causing filtration by
the glomerular capillaries
– Blood hydrostatic pressure (PH)
• Outward filtration pressure of 55
mm Hg
– Constant across capillaries
due to restricted outflow
(efferent arteriole is smaller in
diameter than the afferent
arteriole)
– Colloid osmotic pressure (π)
• Opposes hydrostatic pressure at 30
mm Hg
• Due to presence of proteins in
plasma, but not in glomerular
capsule (Bowman’s capsule)
– Capsular hydrostatic pressure
(Pfluid)
• Opposes hydrostatic pressure at 15
mm Hg

The values shown are estimates for healthy humans.

 Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

• Volume of filtrate formed per minute by

both kidneys (normal = 120–125 ml/min)

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How does changes in Arteriolar Diameter
Influence the GFR

• What happens to the GFR when the

afferent arteriole constricts? What happens
to the GFR when it dilates?
• What happens to the GFR when the
efferent arteriole constricts? What happens
to the GFR when it dilates?
• An increase or decrease in systemic blood
pressure
• Filtration of small molecules is nonselective
– filtrate in Bowman’s capsule is a mixture that
mirrors the concentration of various solutes in the
blood plasma = glomerular filtrate
– Filtrate = blood plasma - plasma protein and blood
cells

Which substances are found in

the glomerular filtrate?

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 Disorders

• Proteinuria – appearance of protein in urine

• Glomerulonephritis – damage to glomeruli
• Hematuria – presence of blood in urine

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

Table 15.3
 Think!!
• The initial kidney filtrate resembles blood
plasma in some ways. What is similar, what is
missing and why?
• If urine is formed by filtering blood, why is
urine not normally red in colour like blood?
• How would BP disorders (low/high BP) affect
the rate of blood filtration within Bowman’s
capsule?
What happens to the glomerular filtrate?

• The amount of filtrate formed = 125ml/min; 180l

per 24hrs
• We excrete 1.5l/day (~1ml/min)
• What happens to the remaining 178.5l?
– Reabsorbed & placed back into blood circulation

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 Tubular secretion: Involves
Tubular reabsorption: the movement of materials
return of most of the fluid from the peritubular capillaries
and solutes into the blood or vasa recta to the tubule
Filtrate becomes urine – reabsorption & secretion

1 Proximal tubule 4 Distal tubule

NaCl Nutrients H2O

HCO3 H2O K+ NaCl HCO3

H+ NH3 K+ H+

CORTEX

2 Descending limb 3 Thick segment

Filtrate of loop of of ascending
Henle limb
H2O
Salts (NaCl and others) NaCl
HCO3– H2O
H+
Urea OUTER NaCl
Glucose; amino acids MEDULLA
Some drugs
3 Thin segment 5 Collecting
of ascending duct
limb

Key Urea

NaCl H2O
Active transport
Passive transport
INNER
MEDULLA

Figure 44.14
 Massive reabsorption occurs in the
proximal tubule

How does the structure of the Proximal

tubule reflect its function?

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a/Balancing/content/Balancing/ur2a/bot.htm
Structure –Function: Proximal tubule
Figure 15.8
 Tubular Reabsorption - PCT

• Most tubular reabsorption occurs in proximal

tubule
– Passive processes
– Active processes
• Reabsorption of sodium begins the process
– What is the function of the Na+/K+ pump?
– How is sodium involved in the reabsorption of AAs and
glucose in the PCT?
– What is the role of secondary active transport?
– How do these processes impact on water reabsorption?

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Reabsorption in Proximal Tubule– Role of Sodium

• How are the

Figure 15.9
following
ions/substances
transported...reab
sorbed?
• Na+
• Cl-
• H 20
• Glucose and
amino acids

Fig. 15.9
 Formation of Urine: Tubular Reabsorption
Loop of Henle
• How do the permeability of
the two limbs of the loop of
Henle differ?

– Descending

– Ascending

• What is reabsorbed from the

filtrate in the nephron loop?
Passive or Active process?
 Tubular Secretion Removes Other
Substances from Blood

• What is the purpose of tubular secretion?

• Which substances are secreted?

• Where in the renal tubule does secretion occur?

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Filtrate becomes urine – tubular secretion

1 Proximal tubule 4 Distal tubule

NaCl Nutrients H2O

HCO3 H2O K+ NaCl HCO3

H+ NH3 K+ H+

CORTEX

2 Descending limb 3 Thick segment

Filtrate of loop of of ascending
Henle limb
H2O
Salts (NaCl and others) NaCl
HCO3– H2O
H+
Urea OUTER NaCl
Glucose; amino acids MEDULLA
Some drugs
3 Thin segment 5 Collecting
of ascending duct
limb

Key Urea

NaCl H2O
Active transport
Passive transport
INNER
MEDULLA

Figure 44.14
Distal tubule: Reabsorption & Secretion
• Cells of the DT lack
microvilli (why?
Structure-function)

• What is reabsorbed?

• What is secreted into

the distal tubule?
Collecting Duct

• More water leaves the

tube by osmosis, since
the tube is surrounded
by salty tissue.
• Some urea leaves by
diffusion, and may be
cycled through the
system.
Table 15.3
So what is this stuff called urine?
 Review
• Name the chemical that is normally entirely reabsorbed
back into the blood from the renal tubules?

• Identify the disease state that is associated with the renal

tubules inability to reabsorb the chemical mentioned.

http://wps.pearsoncustom.com/wps/media/objects/3014/3087289/Web_Tutorials/2
8_A04.swf
Figure 44.16-3

Osmolarity
of interstitial
fluid
300 (mOsm/L)
How does the 300 100
300
concentration 100 300 300
of the filtrate H2O NaCl H2O
CORTEX
change as it
400 200 400 400
passes H2O NaCl H2O
NaCl
through the H2O NaCl H2O
renal tubule NaCl

and collecting OUTER H2O

600
NaCl
400
H2O
600 600
MEDULLA
system? H2O NaCl H2O
Urea
H2O NaCl H2O
900 700 900
Urea
Key H2O NaCl H2O
INNER Urea
Active MEDULLA 1,200
1,200
transport
1,200
Passive
transport
 Figure 25.16a Juxtamedullary nephrons create an osmotic gradient within the renal medulla that allows the kidney to
produce urine of varying concentration. (4 of 4)

(continued) As water and solutes are reabsorbed, the loop first concentrates the filtrate, then dilutes it.

Active transport
Passive transport
Water impermeable 300
300 100

Cortex 100
300 300
1 Filtrate entering the 5 Filtrate is at its most dilute as it
nephron loop is isosmotic to leaves the nephron loop. At
both blood plasma and 100 mOsm, it is hypo-osmotic
Osmolality of interstitial fluid (mOsm)

cortical interstitial fluid. to the interstitial fluid.

400 400 200

4 Na+ and Cl- are pumped out

Outer of the filtrate. This increases the
medulla interstitial fluid osmolality.
600 600 400
2 Water moves out of the
filtrate in the descending limb
down its osmotic gradient.
This concentrates the filtrate.
900 900 700

3 Filtrate reaches its highest

concentration at the bend of the
Inner loop.
medulla Nephron loop
1200 1200

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 Figure 25.16a Juxtamedullary nephrons create an osmotic gradient within the renal medulla that allows the kidney to
produce urine of varying concentration. (1 of 4)

The three key players and their

orientation in the osmotic gradient:

(c) The collecting ducts of

all nephrons use the gradient
to adjust urine osmolality.

300

300

400
(a) The long nephron loops of
juxtamedullary nephrons create
the gradient. They act as 600
countercurrent multipliers.
The osmolality of the medullary
900 interstitial fluid progressively
increases from the 300 mOsm of
(b) The vasa recta preserve the normal body fluid to 1200 mOsm
gradient. They act as at the deepest part of the medulla.
countercurrent exchangers. 1200

Recycling of urea in the

http://www.johnwiley.net.au/highered/interactions/ innermost portion of the
media/Balancing/content/Balancing/ur3a/screen0. medulla
swf
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Figure 15.12 Countercurrent exchange in the vasa recta
 Figure 25.17 Mechanism for forming dilute or concentrated urine.
If we were so overhydrated we had no ADH... If we were so dehydrated we had maximal ADH...

Osmolality of extracellular fluids Osmolality of extracellular fluids

ADH release from posterior pituitary ADH release from posterior pituitary

Number of aquaporins (H2O channels) in collecting duct Number of aquaporins (H2O channels) in collecting duct

H2O reabsorption from collecting duct H2O reabsorption from collecting duct

Large volume of dilute urine Small volume of concentrated urine

Collecting Collecting duct

duct
Descending limb 300 Descending limb 300
of nephron loop of nephron loop
100 100 150

DCT 100 DCT 300

Osmolality of interstitial fluid (mOsm)

Osmolality of interstitial fluid (mOsm)

Cortex Cortex
300 100 300 300 100 300 300

400

600 400 600 600 400 600 600

100
Outer Outer
medulla medulla

Urea
900 700 900 900 700 900 900

Urea Urea
Inner Inner
medulla medulla
1200 100 1200 1200
1200 1200

Large volume Small volume of

of dilute urine Urea contributes to concentrated urine
Active transport the osmotic gradient.
Passive transport ADH increases its
recycling.

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Urea Recycling and the Medullary Osmotic Gradient
 Producing Concentrated Urine: Conserving
Water
• Mechanisms
– Mediated by ADH (antidiuretic hormone) from the
posterior pituitary gland
• ADH increases permeability of the collecting ducts to
water and increases conservation of water
Figure 44.20

ADH
Collecting receptor LUMEN
duct COLLECTING
DUCT CELL
ADH

cAMP

Second-messenger
signaling molecule

Storage
vesicle

Exocytosis
Aquaporin
water H 2O
channel
H 2O
The counter current multiplier system in the nephrons of mammalian
kidneys allows the development of a concentration gradient of salt
and urea in the medullary fluid that is

a) low enough so that all urine is hyposmotic.

b) high enough to develop hyperosmotic urine.
c) capable of transporting water directly into the
blood.
d) an exact match to the osmolarity of saliva.
Kidneys Maintain Homeostasis in Many
Ways
• Fluid (water) and electrolyte balance by controlling
the volume and composition of the urine
– Adjust blood volume and blood pressure
• Renin, Aldosterone, ANH help maintain salt
balance in order to control blood volume

Have you ever noticed the need for a drink after eating that
large bucket of popcorn at the movies? Or on television,
patients entering the ER with substantial blood loss are
immediately given intravenous fluids (an IV)? Both scenarios
relate to fluid and electrolyte balance.

© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System

Renin triggers the formation of

the peptide angiotensin II
• Increases BP/blood volume
• Aldosterone
ADH

Blood volume
Increase
Set point
Save water Decrease

Save
Kidneys salt

Kidneys

Adrenal
cortex
Angiotensin-
converting
enzyme

Lungs

Angiotensinogen

Vasoconstriction,
blood pressure
Liver
© 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. Figure 15.15
 Homeostatic Regulation of the Kidney

• ADH and RAAS both increase water reabsorption,

but only RAAS will respond to a decrease in blood
volume
• Another hormone, atrial natriuretic hormone
(ANH), opposes the RAAS
• ANH is released in response to an increase in blood
volume and pressure and inhibits the release of
renin

© 2011 Pearson Education, Inc.

 Endocrine Functions of Heart and Kidney

• Heart
–Atrial natriuretic hormone (ANH)
• Helps regulate blood pressure by increasing rate of
sodium and water excretion in the urine
• Kidney
–Renin
• Stimulates aldosterone secretion and constricts blood
vessels
–Erythropoietin
• Stimulates production of erythrocytes
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 Erythropoietin Stimulates Production of Red Blood Cells

• Decrease in amount of
oxygen is detected by
certain cells throughout the
kidney
• Kidney cells secrete
hormone, erythropoietin, in
response to decrease in
oxygen
• Erythropoietin triggers
increase in red blood cell
production in the bone
marrow
Refer to Fig 7.6
 Figure 25.15 Summary of tubular reabsorption and secretion and hormones involved.

Cortex

65% of filtrate volume Regulated reabsorption

reabsorbed • Na+ (by aldosterone;
• H2O Cl− follows)
• Na+, HCO3−, and • Ca2+ (by parathyroid
many other ions hormone)
• Glucose, amino acids,
and other nutrients

• H+ and NH4+ Regulated

• Some drugs secretion
• K+ (by
aldosterone)

Outer Regulated
medulla reabsorption
• H2O (by ADH)
• Na+ (by
aldosterone; Cl−
follows)
• Urea (increased
by ADH)

• Urea

Regulated
secretion
Inner • K+ (by
medulla aldosterone)

• Reabsorption or secretion
to maintain blood pH
involves H+, HCO3−,
and NH4+

Reabsorption
Secretion
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Kidneys Help Maintain Acid-Base Balance and Blood pH

Tubule cell Interstitial Capillary

fluid Cellular
metabolism
Tubule
lumen

(excreted
in urine)

a) Reabsorption of filtered bicarbonate. b) Excretion of ammonium. Kidney cells

Hydrogen ions within the cell are secreted into
the lumen, where they combine with filtered
bicarbonate to form CO2 and water. The CO2
and water diffuse into the cell and dissociate
back into a hydrogen ion and bicarbonate. The
hydrogen ion is secreted again, but the
bicarbonate diffuses from the cell back into
the blood.
produce ammonium and bicarbonate during
cellular metabolism of glutamine. The
ammonium is secreted into the tubule and is
excreted in the urine, but the new
bicarbonate diffuses into the blood.
Figure 15.16

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 Kidneys do more than “just” make
urine

If your kidneys malfunction, the following could

result?

• High blood pressure

• Dangerous fluctuations in blood pH
• Anemia (too few red blood cells)
• Vitamin D deficiency
 Disorders of the Urinary system

Causes of renal dysfunctions:

–Obstructions – kidney stones

– Urinary tract infections/inflammations

 Kidney diseases
• Two common causes
– Diabetes & High BP

• Diabetic mellitus and insipidus

 Diseases and Disorders of the Urinary System

Disease/Disorder Description
Incontinence

Glomerulonephritis

Cystitis

Pyelonephritis

Polycystic kidney
disease
 Renal failure

• How does chronic renal failure differ from acute renal

failure?
• What is end stage renal disease?
• Symptoms:
• Treatment options
_____________________________________________________
_________________________

How is blood cleansed and adjusted by an artificial kidney

machine?
 Dialysis Cleanses Blood Artificially

• Problems with dialysis

– Think of kidney functions which cannot be achieved by

dialysis??

– Can dialysis completely achieve homeostasis of ions and

wastes?
– Can dialysis replace renal hormones?
End of Urinary System Lectures

This too shall

pass—just like
a kidney stone.
~H. Madson