Professional Documents
Culture Documents
System
by
Mr. M’hango G
The Urinary System
Paired kidneys
Urinary bladder
Urethra
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The urinary system consists of the paired
kidneys and ureters and the unpaired bladder
and urethra.
This system contributes to the maintenance of
homeostasis by a complex process that involves
filtration, active absorption, passive
absorption, and secretion.
The result is the production of urine, in which
various metabolic waste products are eliminated.
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Urine produced in the kidneys passes through
the ureters to the bladder, where it is temporarily
stored and then released to the exterior through
the urethra.
The two kidneys produce about 125 mL of filtrate
per minute; of this amount, 124 mL is absorbed
in the organ, and only 1 mL is released into the
ureters as urine. About 1500 mL of urine is
formed every 24 h
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Main Functions of Urinary System
Kidneys filter blood to keep it pure by
removing from the blood:
Toxins
Metabolic wastes
Excess water
Excess ions
Dispose of nitrogenous wastes from blood
Urea
Uric acid
Creatinine
Regulate the balance of water and
electrolytes, acids and bases
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They help regulate arterial blood
pressure by adjusting Na excretion and
producing various substances (e.g.,renin)
that can affect blood pressure.
They are the major production sites of
certain hormones, including erythropoietin
and 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D3
They degrade several polypeptide
hormones, including insulin, glucagon, and
parathyroid hormone.
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The above kidney functions help in
maintaining homeostasis (i.e., a constant
internal body environment)
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Gross Anatomy of the Kidneys
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Kidneys are retroperitoneal organs (see next slide)
Superior lumbar region of posterior abdominal wall
Lateral surface is convex
Medial surface is concave
Hilus* is cleft: vessels, ureters and nerves enter and leave
Adrenal glands* lie superior to each kidney
(the yellow blob in pic)
*
*
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10
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Note layers of
adipose (fat),
capsule, fascia
Transverse sections
show retroperitoneal
position of kidneys
Note also:
liver, aorta
muscles on CT
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Kidney has two regions
Cortex: outer
Columns of cortex divide medulla into “pyramids”
Medulla: inner
Darker, cone-shaped medullary or renal pyramids
Parallel bundles of urine-collecting tubules
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The human kidney has lobes
Pyramid and cortical tissue surrounding it
5-11 per kidney
Renal pelvis (=basin)
Expanded, funnel shaped, superior part of ureter
Branches to form two or three major calices (seen best on right pic below)
Each of these divides again, minor calices: collect urine from papillae of
pyramids
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The Arteries
Aorta gives off right and left renal arteries
Renal arteries divides into 5 segmental arteries as it enters the
hilus of kidney
Segmentals branch into
lobar arteries
Lobars divide into
interlobars
Interlobars into arcuate in
junction of medulla and
cortex
Arcuates send interlobular
arteries into cortex
Cortical radiate arteries
give rise to glomerular
arterioles 16
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Vasculature of the kidney
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Understand at least this much:
Filtration
a. Fluid is squeezed out of
the glomerular capillary
bed
Resorption
b. Most nutrients, water &
essential ions are
returned to the blood of
the peritubular
capillaries
Secretion
c. Moves additional
undesirable molecules
into tubule from blood of
peritubular capillaries
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Nephron
Renal corpuscle (in cortex)
Glomerulus (tuft of
Nephron
capillaries)
Glomerular (Bowman’s)
capsule
Tubular section
Renal corpuscle Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Tubular section Collecting duct
Distal convoluted tubule
-------------------Visceral
layer of
capsule has
podocytes
Unusual branching
epithelial cells
Foot processes with
slit processes
between them
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Scanning EM of podocytes clinging to
capillaries (left) and filtration membrane
diagram (right) The capillary pores (fenestrations)
restrict the passage of the largest
elements such as blood cells
The basement membrane and slit
diaphragm hold back all but the smallest
proteins while letting through small
molecules such as water, ions, glucose,
amino acids, and urea
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Nephron
Tubular section
(processes the filtrate)
Proximal convoluted
tubule
Loop of Henle
Distal convoluted
tubule
(ends by joining
collecting duct) 24
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Proximal convoluted
Nephron
Renal corpuscle (in cortex)
Glomerulus (tuft of capillaries)
Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsu
tubule Tubular section
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Confined to renal
Distal convoluted tubule
Collecting duct
cortex
Cuboidal
epithelial cells
with long
microvilli (fuzzy *
appearance in
pics)
Resorption of
water, ions and
solutes 25
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Nephron
Renal corpuscle (in cortex)
Thin segment
Thick ascending
limb
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Nephron
Renal corpuscle (in cortex)
renal cortex
Simple cuboidal
epithelium
Selective
secretion and
resorption of ions
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Classes of
nephrons
Cortical nephrons
85% of all
nephrons
Almost entirely
within cortex
Juxtamedullary
nephrons
Renal corpuscles
near cortex-
medulla junction
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Uriniferous tubule (anatomical unit for forming urine)
Nephron
Renal corpuscle (in cortex)
Glomerulus (tuft of capillaries)
Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
Tubular section
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle
Distal convoluted tubule
Collecting duct
Collecting Ducts
At papilla of
pyramid* ducts join
* to form larger
papillary ducts
Empty into minor
calices
Role: conserve
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The collecting ducts
The most important role is to conserve body
fluids
When the body must conserve water, the
posterior pituitary gland secretes ADH
(antidiuretic hormone)
ADH increases the permeability of the collecting
tubules and distal tubules to water so more is
reabsorbed
This decreases the total volume of urine
Alcohol inhibits the release of ADH, so less
water is reabsorbed producing copious amounts
of dilute urine (can cause dehydration)
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Vessels
Afferent and efferent arterioles associated with glomerular capillaries
Allows high pressure for forcing filtrate out of blood
About 20% of renal plasma flow is filtered each minute (125 ml/min): this is the
glomerular filtration rate (GFR), an important clinical measure of renal function
This is about one liter every 8 minutes (only 1% ends up as urine)
Peritubular capillaries arise from efferent arterioles
Absorb solutes and water from tubule cells
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(vessels, continued)
The Vasa recta is a
portion of the
peritubular capillary
The Vasa recta system which enters the
medulla where the
solute concentration in
the interstitium is high.
It acts with the loop of
Henle to concentrate
the urine by a complex
mechanism of counter
current exchange using
urea. If the vasa recta
did not exist, the high
concentration of solutes
in the medullary
interstitium would be
washed out.
____vasa recta
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Histology
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Juxtaglomerular apparatus
Regulation of blood pressure
Granule (jg cells) – modified muscle cells secreting renin in response to
falling blood pressure in afferent arteriole
Macula densa – chemoreceptors which secrete renin if solute concentration
falls
Renin-
angiotensin
mechanism:
Sequence of
reactions resulting
in aldosterone
secretion from
adrenal cortex:
increases sodium
resorption from
distal convoluted
tubules: water
follows, blood
volume increases
and blood pressure
increases
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For studying
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Bladder wall has three layers (same as ureters)
Mucosa with distensible transitional epithelium and
lamnia propria (can stretch)
Thick muscularis called the detrusor muscle
3 layers of highly intermingled smooth muscle
Squeezes urine out
Fibrous adventitia
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The Urethra
Smooth muscle with inner mucosa
Changes from transitional through stages to stratified squamous near end
Drains urine out of the bladder and body
Male: about 20 cm (8”) long
Female: 3-4 cm (1.5”) long
Short length is why females have more urinary tract infections than males -
ascending bacteria from stool contamination
urethra
Urethra____
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Urethral sphincters
Internal: involuntary sphincter of smooth muscle
External: skeletal muscle inhibits urination voluntarily
until proper time (levator anni muscle also helps
voluntary constriction)
1. Prostatic urethra__________
2. Membranous urethra____
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With all the labels
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Micturition
AKA:
Voiding
Urinating
Emptying the bladder
KNOW:
Micturition center of brain:
pons
(but heavily influenced by
higher centers)
Parasympathetic: to void
Sympathetic: inhibits
micturition
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