Physiology of Urine Formation

Submitted to - Submitted by-

Mr. Pankaj Gupta Sir Rajeshwer Dutt
Department of Zoology B.Sc. 2nd Year (Zoology)
Formation of Urine

Nitrogenous wastes are formed inside the body cells, These wastes are transported to the
kidneys by blood, and changed into urine. Urine is formed in three steps-

● Glomerular Filtration
● Selective Reabsorption
● Tubular Secretion
● Glomerular Filtration

It is the first step of urine formation, the filtration of blood, which is carried out by the
glomerulus.

Kidneys filter about 1100-1200 ml of the blood per minute, which constitute roughly 1/5th
of the blood pumped out by each ventricle of the heart in a minute.
● Selective Reabsorption

This is the second step in the formation of urine from filtrate. This urine released is 1.5 L as
compared to the volume of the filtrate formed per day (180 L). It suggests that as much as
99% of the material in the filtrate is reabsorbed by the renal tubules. Thus, the process is
called reabsorption.
● Tubular Secretion

It is also an important step in urine formation. Certain chemicals in the blood that are not
removed from the glomerular capillaries are removed by this process of tubular secretion. It
helps in the maintenance of ionic and acid-base balance of body fluids by removing
chemicals-like forign bodies, ions (K+,H+,NH4+) and molecules (medicines), etc., that are at
elevated levels.
Nephron showing mechanism of urine formation
Regulation of Kidney Function

The function of kidney are regulated by following-

★ Regulation of Acid Base Balance

★ Regulation of Water Salt Balance
★ Regulation of Acid Base Balance

The kidneys regulate extracellular fluid H concentration through three fundamental

mechanisms.

➔ Secretion of H+
➔ Reabsorption of filtered HCO3-
➔ Production of new HCO3-
★ Regulation of Water Salt Balance

Kidneys also helps to maintain the water- salt balance of the blood. They also maintain
blood volume as well as blood pressure. Simple examples of ways that this balance can be
changed include ingestion of water, dehydration, blood loss and salt ingestion.
Reabsorption of Salt

The kidneys regulates the salt balance in the blood by controlling the excretion and the
reabsorption of various ions. ADH plays a role in increasing water reabsorption in the
kidneys, thus helping to dilute body fluids. The kidneys also have a regulated mechanism for
reabsorbing sodium in the distal nephron. This mechanism is controlled by aldosterone, a
steroid hormone produced by the adrenal cortex.

Aldosterone promotes the excretion of potassium ions and the reabsorption of sodium ions.
The release of aldosterone is initiated by the kidney. The juxtaglomerular apparatus is a
renal structure consisting of the macula densa, mesangial cells and juxtaglomerular cells
which are the major site of renin secretion.
The reabsorption of sodium ions is followed by the reabsorption of water. This causes blood
pressure as well as blood volume to increase. Atrial Natriuretic Hormone (ANH) is released
by the atria of the heart when cardiac cells are stretched due to increased blood volume.
ANH inhibits the secretion of renin by the juxtaglomerular apparatus and the secretion of
the aldosterone by the adrenal cortex. This promotes the excretion of sodium. When sodium
is excreted through water, it causes blood pressure and volume to decrease.
Reabsorption of Water

Direct control of water excretion in the kidney is experienced by the Antidiuretic Hormone
(ADH), released by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland.

ADH causes the insertion of water channels into the membranes of cells lining of collecting
ducts, allowing water reabsorption to occur. Without ADH, little water is reabsorbed in the
collecting ducts and dilute urine is excreted.

There are several factors that influences the secretion of ADH. the first of these happen
when the blood plasma gets to concentrated. When this occurs, special receptors in the
hypothalamus releases ADH. When blood pressure falls, stretch receptors in the aorta and
carotid arteries stimulates ADH secretion to increase volume of blood.
Composition of Human Urine

❏ Water - 96%
❏ Urea - 2%
❏ Uric acids, Creatinine, Pigments - 0.3%
❏ Inorganic Salts - 2%
❏ Bad smell is due to Urinoid
❏ Pale yellow color due to Urochrome or Urobilin (which is breakdown product of
hemoglobin)
Micturition

It is the process by which the urinary bladder empties when it becomes filled.

This involves two main steps -

➢ First, the bladder fills progressively until the tension on its walls rises above a
threshold level.
➢ This elicits the second step, which is a nervous reflex called the micturition reflex that
empties the bladder or it fails, at least causes a conscious desire to urinate.

Although, the micturition reflex is an autonomic spinal cord reflex, it can be inhibited
or facilitated by centers in the cerebral cortex or brain stem.
The micturition reflex is a single complete cycle of

● Progressive and rapid increase of pressure

● A period of sustained pressure
● Return of the pressure to the basal tone of the bladder