EXERCISE NO.

13

THE EXCRETORY SYSTEM

GIO: Study the organs involved in the excretory system.

SIO.
1. Identify the parts and functions of the nephron.
 Each nephron is composed of a renal corpuscle (glomerulus within Bowman's capsule),
a proximal tubule (convoluted and straight components), an intermediate tubule (loop of
Henle), a distal convoluted tubule, a connecting tubule, and cortical, outer medullary,
and inner medullary collecting ducts. The nephrons work through a two-step
process: the glomerulus filters your blood, and the tubule returns needed substances to
your blood and removes wastes. Each nephron has a glomerulus to filter your blood and
a tubule that returns needed substances to your blood and pulls out additional wastes.

2. Explain the formation of dilute versus concentrated urine.

 When the kidney generates free water, the urine becomes dilute (hypo-osmotic).
Conversely, when the kidney removes water from an isosmotic fluid, the urine becomes
concentrated (hyperosmotic). When the kidney neither adds nor subtracts free water
from the isosmotic moiety, the urine is isosmotic with blood plasma.

3. Define micturition and describe the micturition reflex.

 Micturition or urination is the process of emptying urine from the storage organ, namely,
the urinary bladder. The detrusor is the smooth or involuntary muscle of the bladder wall.
The urethral muscles consist of the external and internal sphincter. The micturition
reflex causes bladder contraction during voiding, through a neural pathway. This reflex
may lead to involuntary micturition in individuals that may not be able to feel the
sensation of urinary urge, due to the firing of the stretch receptors themselves.

4. Draw and label the following parts of the kidney

a. renal cortex
b. medullary pyramids
c. renal columns of Bertini
d. minor calyces
e. major calyces
f. renal pelvis
 5. Enumerate the different anatomical constrictions of the ureter.
 at the pelviureteric junction (PUJ) of the renal pelvis and the ureter.
 as the ureter enters the pelvis and crosses over the common iliac artery bifurcation.
 at the vesicoureteric junction (VUJ) as the ureter obliquely enters the bladder wall.

6. Illustrate the different parts of the urinary bladder and urethra in the male.
7. Label the parts of the nephron and with the use of colored arrows, identify
the site of filtration (black), reabsorption (blue) and secretion (red).