Urinary System

№ 96. Kidney
Stain: Haematoxylin – eosin.
Low magnification:
Find and examine a capsule, cortex and medulla of the kidney.
Capsule is a thin connective tissue, which covers the kidney.
Cortex
The cortex consists of parts of nephrons, collecting tubules and medullary rays. There are blood
vessels in the connective tissue (renal interstitium).
Medullary Rays
Medullary rays are continuations of medullary tissue extending into the cortex.
They are composed mostly of collecting tubules, pars recta of proximal tubules, ascending thick limbs
of Henle's loop, and blood vessels.
Medulla
The medulla is composed of renal pyramids, and intervening cortical columns. The renal pyramids
consist of collecting tubules (simple cuboidal epithelium), thick descending limbs of Henle's loop, thin
limbs of Henle's loop, ascending thick limbs of Henle's loop. Numerous blood vessels, the vasa recta
are also present in connective tissue (the renal interstitium). The apex of the renal pyramid is the renal
papilla, where the large collecting ducts of Bellini open to deliver the urine into the minor calyx.

The structural and functional unit of the kidney is nephron.

There are 2 types of nephrons in the kidney:

1. cortical nephron
2. juxtamedullary nephron
1. Cortical nephrons have short loops of Henle extending only into outer region of the pyramid
(practically all tubules are localized in the cortex)
2. Juxtamedullary nephrons have long loops of Henle and thin segments that extend into the inner
region of the pyramid
 The structural and functional unit of
the kidney is nephron.
Each nephron consists of:
- renal corpuscle (Malpighina
corpuscle, or glomeruli, or
Boewman’s capsule and glomeruli)
- proximal convoluted and
straight tubules
- thin and thick limbs of Henle’s
loop
- distal straight and convoluted
tubules

Cortical nephrons
The nephron begins Bowman's capsule (meant for filteration of blood), is in the form of
a double-walled cup, having an outer or parietal layer and an inner or visceral layer.
Between the two layers is a space called the capsular space or urinary space.
The parietal layer of glomerular capsule is made up of a simple squamous
epithelium. At the urinary pole the squamous epithelium becomes continuous with the
low columnar epithelium of the proximal convoluted tubule.
The visceral layer lined by specialised cells called podocytes. Between the two
layers the capsular space. The glomerulus with Bowman's capsule is called the renal
corpuscle. The glomerular capillaries , which called “rete mirabile”, connect the afferent
and efferent arterioles.
Podocytes have several primary processes, each of these processes extends
toward one or more glomerular capillary loops and give rise to numerous secondary
processes known as pedicels. The pedicels make a direct contact with the capsular
surface of the common basal lamina. The pedicels of adjacent podocytes interdigitate.
The spaces between the interdigitating pedicels are called filtration slits (or slits
spaces).
The basal lamina of the visceral layer of capsule lies between the podocytes and
the endothelial cells of the glomerular capillaries. This is thick basal lamina (also called
glomerular basement membrane).
E/M reveals that basal lamina comprises 3 layers:
- lamina densa - a central electron-dense layer with collagen type IV
- lamina rara or lucida – an electron-lucent layers on its internal and external surfaces
are composed of glyicosaminoglycans - heparan sulfate (impedes the passage of large
and negatively charged proteins through the barrier).
Filtration Barrier
This barrier consists of three components:
1- the fenestrated capillary endothelium
2- the common basal lamina
3- the pedicels of the podocytes connected by slit membranes.
- Low molecular weight proteins cross both barriers and enter the urine that is filtering into the
urinary space.
Proximal tubules The proximal convoluted tubules and straight
(descending) segments of the proximal tubules.
1- The proximal convoluted tubules are lined by a
simple cuboidal epithelium.
2 - The proximal convoluted tubules are stained
intensely eosinophilic, acidophilic – brightly dark pink.
3 - With a prominent apical brush border consisting of
many long microvilli. The free (i.e., luminal) surface
of the cells shows a striated border (brush border)
5- Cytoplasm of the epithelial cells exhibit basal
striations. (E/M reveals the basal plasmalemma of
these cells shows deep infoldings, between which lie
rows of elongate mitochondria).
Functon
- The proximal tubule reabsorbs 87.5 per cent of water
and sodium from the glomerular filtrate.
- Glucose, amino acids, bicarbonate and ascorbic acid are also
reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule.

Distal tubules The proximal convoluted tubules and straight

(descending) segments of the proximal tubules.
1- The distal convoluted tubule is lined by a simple
cuboidal epithelium.
2- Cytoplasm of the distal convoluted tubule cells is
faintly acidophilic and is stained in pale pink colour
3- The lumen of tubules is larger and a distinct.
4- The cells have acidophilic basal striations.
5- The cells have no brush border.
Function
In the distal convoluted tubules the sodium is
reabsorbed under the influence
of aldosterone, and potassium ions are secreted into the
urine
Henle’s Loop
It is a U-shaped epithelial tube consisting of a thin descending limb (it is lined by
simple squamous epithelium; in this segment is reabsorbed water) and thick ascending
limb (cuboidal or low columnar epithelium; it is a distal segment and has the same
structure as that of the distal convoluted tubule; this segment is reabsorbed Na - sodium.
Collecting tubules
These tubules are not considered part of the nephron.
Distal convoluted tubules connect to a collecting tubule via its short side branches.
The collecting tubule is lined by a simple cuboidal epithelium. There are two types of
epithelial cells in collecting tubule:
1- light stained cell
2- dark stained cell
The function of the collecting tubules is to conduct urine from nephron to the renal
pelvis. Some reabsorption of water occurs in it under the influence of the ADH
(antidiuretic hormone, which is released from the pars nervosa of the pituitary). The
concentration of the urine is increased, it is hypertonic. In the absence of ADH the cells
of the collecting tubule are impermeable to water and the urine remains hypotonic.
Juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA)
The JGA is located at the vascular pole of the renal corpuscle and is composed of three
different groups of cells:
1- Macula densa of the distal convoluted tubule
2- Juxtaglomerular cells in the wall of the afferent arteriole
3- Mesangial (lacis) cells, situated between the afferent and efferent arterioles of the
glomerulus
1- Macula densa
The macula densa is a specialized region of the distal convoluted tubule, where the tubule comes in
contact with the afferent and efferent arterioles at the vascular pole of the renal corpuscle of its own
nephron. In this region the simple cuboidal epithelium of the distal tubule shows several modifications.
Here, the cells become tall, thin and columnar, the nuclei in these cells are closely packed to form a
structure called the macula densa. The Golgi apparatus of these cells is located in a subnuclear position
in contrast with the supranuclear position in the other parts of the tubule. The macula densa is part of
an important region called the juxtaglomerular apparatus. The macula densa functions as a sensor of
osmolarity of fluid in the distal convoluted tubule. A low sodium ion concentration in the tubule fluid
stimulates the macula densa to produce certain chemical substances which act upon the
juxtaglomerular cells to cause the release of renin.
Juxtaglomerular cells
JGC are modified smooth muscle cells. These modifications are restricted mainly to the tunica media
of the afferent arteriole. These cells contain cytoplasmic granules rich in the proteolytic enzyme
renin. Renin activates angiotensinogen, changing it to angiotensin-I, which, in turn, is cleaved by
converting enzyme, forming angiotensin-II. This powerful vasoconstrictor also prompts the release of
the mineralocorticoid aldosterone from the suprarenal cortex. Aldosterone binds to receptors on cells
of the distal convoluted tubules, prompting them to reasorb sodium (and chloride) from the
ultrafiltrate.
3- Mesangial cells
These cells are found near the vascular pole of the glomerulus, lying in contact with the capillary
endothelium at the places where the glomerular lamina forms a sheath which is shared by two or more
capillaries. Morphologically, the mesangial cells resemble the pericytes of the capillaries.
Function of these cells is not clear.
№ 97. Urinary Bladder (transverse section)
Stain: Haematoxylin – eosin.
Low magnification:
Find and draw the wall of the urinary bladder,
which consists of
I – Mucosa
II – Submucosa
III - Muscularis
IV – Serosa (on the superior surface; the lower surface has a covering adventitia)
High magnification:
I – The Mucosa of the urinary bladder is lined by transitional epithelium, that has 3
layers and the wide lamina propria (it is the loose connective tissue which contains
more elastic fibers).
The mucosa in the empty bladder has numerous folds. However these folds disappear
during bladder distension.
II – Submucosa – loose connective tissue with blood vessels
III- The Muscularis is a thick layer, which is composed of smooth muscle cells and is
loosely organized into 3 layers:
- an inner longitudinal layer
- a middle circular layer
- an outer longitudinal layer.
The middle circular layer is highly developed around the internal urethral orifice to
form a sphincter.
III- Serosa consists of loose connective tissue covering mesothelium and is on the
upper dorsal part and partially on the side surfaces of the bladder.
Adventitia is a loose connective tissue without mesothelium in other parts.