HAPP111; WEEK 16: URINARY SYSTEM
URINARY SYSTEM
Organs of the Urinary System
 Kidneys
 Ureters
 Urinary bladder
 Urethra
KIDNEYS
 By producing the enzyme renin, they help regulate blood
pressure.
 The hormone erythropoietin, released by the kidneys, stimulates
red blood cell production in bone marrow
 Kidney cells convert vitamin D to its active form.
KIDNEY STRUCTURE
 It lies against the dorsal body wall in a retroperitoneal position 
(behind the parietal peritoneum) in the superior lumbar region.
 They are protected by the lower part of the rib cage.
 Adult kidney size: 12 cm (5 inches) long, 6 cm (2.5 inches)
wide, and 3 cm (1 inch) thick.
 It has medial indentation called the renal hilum
 Three protective layers:
1. Fibrous capsule – encloses each kidney and gives its
glistening appearance.
2. Perirenal fat capsule – surrounds each kidney and cushions
it against blows.
3. Renal fascia – most superficial layer, made of dense fibrous
connective tissue.
 Three regions:
1. Renal cortex – outer region.
2. Renal medulla – deep to the cortex.
 Renal pyramids/Medullary pyramids – triangular regions
of the medulla with a striped appearance.
 Renal columns – cortex-like tissue
3. Renal pelvis – flat, funnel shaped tube.
 Calyces – extension of renal pelvis, form cup-shaped
drains that enclose the tips of the pyramids; it collects
urine.
BLOOD SUPPLY OF KIDNEY
 Renal artery – supplies the kidney with blood (arterial blood)
As the renal artery approaches the hilum, it divides into
segmental arteries, each of which gives off several branches
called interlobar arteries, which travel through the renal
columns to reach the cortex.
 At the cortex-medulla junction, interlobar arteries give off the
arcuate arteries, which arch over the medullary pyramids.
 Small cortical radiate arteries then branch off the arcuate
arteries to supply the renal cortex.
 Venous blood—cortical radiate veins to arcuate veins to
interlobar veins to the renal vein, which emerges from the kidney
hilum and empties into the inferior vena cava.
NEPHRONS
HAPP111
 It is the structural and functional unit of the kidneys.
 Two main structures: renal corpuscle and renal tubule
1. Renal corpuscle – consists of a glomerulus and Bowman’s
capsule.
 Glomerulus – knot of capillaries; filtering unit of the kidney.
 Bowman’s capsule – also known as glomerular capsule; cup-
shaped hollow structure that surrounds the glomerulus.
Its inner layer is made up of highly modified octopus-like
cells called the podocytes.
2. Renal Tubule – makes up the rest of the nephron; it extends
from the glomerulus capsule; it coils, and twists forming a
hairpin loop and then becomes coiled and twisted before
entering a collecting duct
 Regions: proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), nephron loop
or loop of Henle and distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
TYPES OF NEPHRONS
1. Cortical nephrons – located within the cortex.
2. Juxtamedullary nephrons – situated close to the cortex-
medulla junction.
 Collecting ducts – receives urine from nephrons; delivers the final
urine product into the calyces and renal pelvis
 Each and every nephron is associated with two capillary beds – the
glomerulus (high-pressure) and the peritubular capillary bed
(low-pressure)
 Afferent arteriole – feeds blood into the glomerulus (feeder
vessel); it arises from the cortical radiate artery
 Efferent arteriole – receives the blood that has passed through the
glomerulus
 Peritubular capillaries – arises from the efferent arterioles that
drains the glomerulus; adapted for absorption instead of filtration.
URINE FORMATION
o Glomerular Filtration, Tubular Reabsorption, Tubular
Secretion
Glomerular Filtration
 A nonselective, passive process in which fluid
passes (filters) from the blood into the
glomerular capsule part of the renal tubule.
 Once in the capsule, the fluid is called filtrate –
blood plasma without blood proteins.
Tubular Reabsorption
 Begins as soon as the filtrate enters the PCT.
 It is the process that moves solutes and water out of the filtrate
and back into your bloodstream.
 The tubule cells are “transporters,” taking up needed substances
from the filtrate and then passing them out their posterior aspect
into the extracellular space, from which they are absorbed into
peritubular capillary blood.
 Either by passive transport (ex. Osmosis) or active transport
(requires ATP; very selective)
 Most reabsorption happens in the PCT, but the DCT and the
collecting duct are also active.
Tubular Secretion
1
 HAPP111; WEEK 16: URINARY SYSTEM
 This process is important for getting rid of
substances not already in the filtrate, such as
certain drugs or excess potassium ions, or as
an additional means for controlling blood
pH.
 It is one of many steps in the process of
filtering blood to produce liquid waste in the
form of urine.
NITROGENEOUS WASTE PRODUCTS
 Urea – end product of protein breakdown when amino acids are
used to produce energy.
 Uric acid – released when nucleic acids are metabolized.
 Creatinine – associated with creatine metabolism in muscle
tissue.
URINE CHARACTERISTICS
 Freshly voided urine is generally clear and pale to deep yellow.
 Urochrome – the pigment that gives the normal yellow color of
the urine; it results from the body’s destruction of hemoglobin.
 The more solutes are in the urine, the deeper yellow its color.
Dilute urine is a pale, straw color.
 Fresh: Aromatic odor; Allowed to stand: Ammoniacal odor
 pH: Slightly acidic
 Specific gravity: 1.001-1.035
 Dilute urine (low specific gravity) – hydrated, diuretics, chronic
renal failure.
 Concentrated urine (high specific gravity) – dehydrated, fever,
pyelonephritis.
 Normally found in the urine: sodium and potassium ions, urea,
uric acid, creatinine, ammonia, bicarbonate ions.
 Not normally found in the urine: glucose, blood proteins, red
blood cells, hemoglobin, white blood cells (pus), bile.
OTHER ORGANS OF THE URINARY SYSTEM
 Both sphincter muscles must open to allow voiding.
 The internal urethral sphincter is relaxed after stretching of the
bladder.
 Activation is from an impulse sent to the spinal cord and then
back via the pelvic splanchnic nerves.
 The external urethral sphincter must be voluntarily relaxed.
FLUID, ELECTROLYTE AND ACID-BASE BALANCE
 In general, the kidneys have four major roles to play, which
help keep the blood composition relatively constant:
 Excreting nitrogen-containing wastes.
 Maintaining water balance of the blood.
 Maintaining electrolyte balance of the blood.
 Ensuring proper blood pH
MAINTAINING WATER BALANCE OF THE BLOOD
 The body's fluid separates into two main compartments (fluid
compartments):
 Intracellular fluid (ICF) – contained within the living cells
 Extracellular fluid (ECF) – located outside the cells
 Blood plasma, interstitial fluid, lymph, transcellular fluid (CSF,
serous fluids, humors of the eye.
 If the body is to remain properly hydrated, we cannot lose more
water than we take in.
 Anti-diuretic hormone (ADH) – prevents excessive water loss in
the urine; released when blood volume drops by the posterior
pituitary gland
 ADH travels in the blood to its main target, the kidney’s
collecting ducts, where it causes the duct cells to reabsorb more
water. As more water is returned to the bloodstream, blood
volume and blood pressure increase to normal levels, and only a
small amount of concentrated urine is formed.
MAINTAINING ELECTROLYTE BALANCE
 Aldosterone – produced by adrenal
cortex; is the major factor - Increases water reabsorption by the
regulating sodium ion content of tubule cells.
the ECF and in the process helps - Water follows salt
regulate the concentration of other
ions.
 Sodium ions are the electrolytes - For each sodium ion reabsorbed –
most responsible for osmotic water chloride ion follows; potassium ion
flow. When too few sodium ions is secreted into the filtrate.
- As the sodium ion content of the
are in the blood, water will leave blood increases, the potassium ion
the blood and enter tissues, causing concentration decreases.
edema.
 Renin-angiotensin mechanism -Renin - Angiotensin II (causes
– mediated by juxtaglomerular vasoconstriction) - Aldosterone
apparatus; also trigger aldosterone (blood volume and pressure
increases)
release; regulates blood pressure.

 Ureters – carries urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder MAINTAING ACID-BASE BALANCE OF BLOOD
 Urinary bladder - is a smooth, collapsible, muscular sac that  Normal blood pH – 7.35-7.45
stores urine temporarily.  Above 7.45 – Alkalosis
 Three openings (drains the bladder) – two ureter opening  Below 7.35 – Acidosis
(ureter orifices) and single opening of the urethra (internal  Most acid-base balance is maintained by the kidneys
urethral orifices)  Other acid-base controlling systems
 The bladder wall contains three layers of smooth muscle,  Blood buffers
collectively called the detrusor muscle.  Respiration
 Its mucosa is a special type of epithelium, transitional
epithelium.
 Urethra – It is a thin-walled tube that carries urine by peristalsis
from the bladder to the outside of the body.
 Internal urethral sphincter – involuntary; smooth muscle;
keeps the urethra closed when urine is not being passed
 External urethral sphincter – voluntary; skeletal muscle.
MALE AND FEMALE URETHRA
 Male – opens at the tip of the penis after traveling down its
length; it carries both urine and sperm (in semen) from the body,
but never at the same time.
 Women – its external orifice or opening lies anterior to the
vaginal opening; conduct urine from the bladder to the body
exterior
Micturition (Voiding)

HAPP111
2
 HAPP111; WEEK 16: URINARY SYSTEM

HAPP111
3