THE URINARY SYSTEM

KIDNEY
- responsible for the elimination of nitrogenous wastes, toxins, and drugs.
- regulate blood volume (thru renin).
- Maintain homeostatic balance of water and salts / acids and bases.
FILTRATE

- Filtered gallons of fluid from the bloodstream.

- Anything in the blood plasma except for RBCs and proteins.
URINE

- Contains most nitrogenous wastes and substances not needed.

- What remains after the filtrate has lost most necessary nutrients thru reabsorption.

URETER

- Delivers urine to the urinary bladder.

URINARY BLADDER

- Stores urine.
- Smooth muscle.
URETHRA

- Carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body via peristalsis.

KIDNEY STRUCTURE -

RENAL ARTERY
- Delivers unfiltered blood into kidney from the aorta.

RENAL VEIN

- Delivers filtered blood back to the inferior vena cava.

RENAL HILUM

- Where several structures (renal artery, vein, and ureter) enter and exit the kidney.
- Entry and exit point.
RENAL CORTEX

- outermost part of the kidney.

- has many arteries and veins that carry blood to one million nephrons located in the cortex.
RENAL MEDULLA
- located inward from the cortex

TIENG | 12HA21
 - includes the cone shaped renal pyramids (fibrous or striped triangular zones in the
medulla).
- RENAL PYRAMIDS = contain the collecting ducts, which collect urine from the kidney
tubules of the nephrons in the cortex.
- RENAL COLOUMNS = contain middle-sized arteries and veins that carry blood between the
nephrons in the cortex and the renal artery and vein.

RENAL PELVIS
- hollow area in the center of the kidney
- collecting ducts from the renal pyramids drain into the renal pelvis.
- Urine passes through here to get to the urinary bladder.
NEPHRONS -

• structural and functional unit of the kidney.

• Two structures: renal corpuscle and renal tubule

Blood flow to kidney

Aorta -> Renal artery - > Segmental artery -> Interlobar arteries -> Arcuate arteries -> Cortical
radiate arteries

Venous blood flow

Cortical radiate veins -> Arcuate veins -> Interlobar veins -> Renal vein -> IVC

Process of urine production

There are 3 main steps of urine formation: Glomerular filtration, Reabsorption, Secretion.

Glomerular Filtration

TIENG | 12HA21
Glomerular filtration occurs in the glomerulus where blood is filtered. This process occurs across
the three layers- the epithelium of Bowman’s capsule, the endothelium of glomerular blood vessels,
and a membrane between these two layers.
Blood is filtered in such a way that all the constituents of the plasma reach the Bowman’s capsule,
except proteins. Therefore, this process is known as ultrafiltration.

Reabsorption
Around 99 per cent of the filtrate obtained is reabsorbed by the renal tubules. This is known as
reabsorption. This is achieved by active and passive transport.

Secretion
The next step in urine formation is tubular secretion. Here, tubular cells secrete substances like
hydrogen ions, potassium ions, etc into the filtrate. Through this process, the ionic, acid-base and
the balance of other body fluids are maintained. The secreted ions combine with the filtrate and
form urine. The urine passes out of the nephron tubule into a collecting duct.

1. What is the main function of the kidney?

- ANSWER: 1. remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. 2. Production of renin to maintain BP
3. Stimulate RBC production, 4. Convert vitamin D to its active form.

2. Describe the pathway of blood through the kidney.

- ANSWER: Blood flows into your kidney through the renal artery. This large blood
vessel branches into smaller and smaller blood vessels until the blood reaches the
nephrons. In the nephron, your blood is filtered by the tiny blood vessels of the
glomeruli and then flows out of your kidney through the renal vein.
3. How did you distinguish between the renal artery and the renal vein?
- ANSWER:

4. Which area of the kidney contains the glomeruli and Bowman’s capsules?
- ANSWER: They are located inside the renal corpuscle (one of the two main
structures of a nephron).

5. In which part of the kidney does the majority of water reabsorption occur?
- ANSWER: The majority of reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule
(PCT) section of the renal tubule.

6. What structure carries urine out of the kidney and where does it go?
- ANSWER: The urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. The urine is stored
in the bladder until it leaves the body through the urethra.

TIENG | 12HA21