Human anatomy

THE URINARY
SYSTEM
OVERVIEW OF THE URINARY SYSTEM
The urinary system consists of two kidneys, two

ureters, one urinary bladder, and one urethra

The urinary system forms an extensive area of

contact with the cardiovascular system

Kidneys filter blood plasma, they return most of

the water and solutes to the bloodstream

The remaining water and solutes constitute urine
OVERVIEW OF THE URINARY SYSTEM
The kidneys do the

major work of the

urinary system.
The other parts of the

system are mainly

passageways and
storage areas
 FUNCTIONS OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

1. The kidneys regulate blood volume and

composition;
Help regulate blood pressure, pH, and glucose

levels
Produce calcitriol and erythropoietin and excrete

wastes in the urine.

2. Ureters transport urine from kidneys to urinary
 ANATOMY OF THE KIDNEYS

Kidney-bean-shaped organs located b/n the

peritoneum and the posterior wall of the abdomen
It is retroperitoneal organs

B/n T12 and L3, partially protected by the 11 th

&12th ribs
Right kidney is slightly lower than the left because

of--------------
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 External Anatomy of the Kidneys

Kidney in an adult is 10–13 cm long, 5–7 cm wide,

and 3 cm thick and has a mass of 125–170 g

The concave medial border of each kidney faces

the vertebral column, has an indentation; the renal

hilum
Ureter, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and

nerves emerges
Width

Length

3 cm
Thickness
 External Anatomy of the Kidneys
Three layers of tissue surround each kidney

Renal capsule: deep layer, smooth, transparent

sheet of dense irregular connective tissue

Adipose capsule: middle layer, mass of fatty tissue

surrounding the renal capsule.

Renal fascia: thin layer of dense irregular
connective tissue that anchors the kidney to the
surrounding structures
Layers of kidney
 Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys
Kidney reveals two distinct regions:

1. Renal cortex

2. Renal medulla

The renal medulla consists of several cone-shaped

renal pyramids
The base of each pyramid faces the renal cortex,

and its apex called a renal papilla, points toward

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 Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys

Renal cortex extends from the renal capsule to the

bases of the renal pyramids and into the spaces

between them.
It is divided into an outer cortical zone and an

inner juxtamedullary zone

Kidney features
 Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys

Those portions of the renal cortex that extend

between renal pyramids are called renal columns

A renal lobe: consists of a renal pyramid, its

overlying area of renal cortex, and one-half of each

adjacent renal column.
The renal cortex and renal pyramids of the renal

medulla constitute the parenchyma

Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys
 Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys

 Within the parenchyma are nephrons

Filtrate formed by the nephrons drains into large

papillary ducts, which extend through the renal

papillae of the pyramids
The papillary ducts drain into cuplike structures

called minor and major calyces

Each kidney has 8-18 minor calyces and 2-3 major
 Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys

From the major calyces, urine drains into a single

large cavity called the renal pelvis

The hilum expands into a cavity within the kidney

called the renal sinus, which contains part of the

renal pelvis, the calyces and neurovascular
structures
Adipose tissue helps stabilize the position of these
 Blood and Nerve Supply of the Kidneys

Abundantly supplied with blood vessels

Receive 20–25% of cardiac output via renal

arteries
In adults, renal blood flow, is about 1200

mL/minute.
The renal artery divides into several segmental

arteries which supply different segments of the

Arterial supply and venous drainage
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 Blood Supply of the Kidneys

 At the bases of the renal pyramids, the interlobar

arteries arch between the renal medulla and cortex;

known as the arcuate arteries
Divisions of the arcuate arteries produce a series of

interlobular arteries or cortical radiate arteries

Opens to renal lobule is a group of nephrons that

open into branches of the same collecting duct

 Blood Supply of the Kidneys

Interlobular arteries enter the renal cortex and give

off branches called afferent arterioles

Each nephron receives one afferent arteriole,

which divides into a tangled, ball-shaped capillary

network called the glomerulus
The capillaries of the glomerulus then reunite to

form an efferent arteriole

 Blood Supply of the Kidneys

The efferent arteriole carries blood out of the

glomerulus toward a second capillary plexus

The efferent arterioles divide to form the
peritubular capillaries which surround tubular
parts of the nephron
Extending from some efferent arterioles are long

loop-shaped capillaries called vasa recta that

 Blood Supply of the Kidneys

The peritubular capillaries eventually reunite to

form peritubular venules and then interlobular

veins, which also receive blood from the vasa recta
Then the blood drains through the arcuate veins to

the interlobar veins running between the renal

pyramids.
Blood leaves the kidney through a single renal
 The Nephron
Parts of a Nephron
Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys

Each nephron consists of two parts:

A renal corpuscle: where blood plasma is filtered

A renal tubule: into which the filtered fluid passes

Renal corpuscle have three components:

Glomerulus - bowman space

glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
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 The Nephron
Glomerular capsule: is a blind (dead) ended tube

that surrounds the glomerular capillaries

A double-walled cup with a cavity b/n the two

layers
Receives filtrate from the capillaries.

The renal tubule consists

1. Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)

2. Nephron loop (loop of Henle)

Nephron
 The Nephron
 Proximal: part of the tubule attached to the

glomerular capsule, and distal the part that is

farther away
Convoluted: the tubule is tightly coiled rather than

straight
The renal corpuscle and both convoluted tubules

lie within the renal cortex

 The distal convoluted tubules of several nephrons
 The Nephron
The collecting ducts and papillary ducts extend

from the renal cortex through the renal medulla to

the renal pelvis.
The nephron loop connects the proximal and distal

convoluted tubules
Nephron loop dips into the renal medulla, where it

is called the descending limb of the nephron loop

Returns to the renal cortex as the ascending limb
 The Nephron
About 80–85 percent of the nephrons are cortical

nephrons
Their renal corpuscles lie in the outer portion of

the renal cortex, and they have short nephron loops

that lie mainly in the cortex and penetrate only into
the outer region of the renal medulla
The short nephron loops receive their blood supply

from peritubular capillaries that arise from efferent

 The Nephron
The other 15–20 percent of the nephrons are

juxtamedullary nephrons
Their renal corpuscles lie deep in the cortex, close

to the medulla, and they have long loops of Henle

that extend into the deepest region of the medulla
Long loops of Henle receive their blood supply

from peritubular capillaries and from the vasa recta

that arise from efferent arterioles
 The Nephron
The ascending limb of the nephron loop

consists of two portions: a thin ascending

limb followed by a thick ascending limb
Nephrons with long nephron loops enable

the kidneys to excrete very concentrated

urine
 Histology of the Nephron and Collecting
Duct
A single layer of epithelial cells forms the entire

wall of the glomerular capsule, renal tubule, and

ducts

GLOMERULAR CAPSULE

Consists of visceral and parietal layers

The visceral layer
The visceral layer consists of modified

simple squamous epithelial cells called

podocytes
The many foot like projections of these cells

(pedicels) wrap around the single endothelial

cell layer of the glomerular capillaries and
The parietal layer
The parietal layer of the glomerular capsule

consists of simple squamous epithelium and

forms the outer wall of the capsule.
Fluid filtered from the glomerular capillaries

enters the space between the two layers of the

glomerular capsule called the capsular space
or Bowman’s space.
Histology of the Nephron and Collecting Duct

The capsular space is the lumen of the urinary tube.

The glomerulus is like a fist punched into a limp

balloon (the glomerular capsule) until the fist is

covered by two layers of balloon.
The layer of the balloon touching the fist is the visceral

layer, and the layer not against the fist is the parietal
layer.
The space in between (the inside of the balloon) is the
 RENAL TUBULE AND COLLECTING
DUCT
Proximal convoluted tubule- simple cuboidal
epithelial cells with microvilli
 The descending limb and the first part of the

ascending limb -simple squamous epithelium.

The thick ascending limb -simple cuboidal to low

columnar epithelium
Papillary ducts- simple columnar epithelium
 RENAL TUBULE AND COLLECTING
DUCT
The final part of the ascending limb makes contact

with the afferent arteriole serving renal corpuscle

Because the columnar tubule cells in this region

are crowded together, they are known as the

macula densa
The wall of the afferent arteriole contains modified

smooth muscle fibers -juxtaglomerular ( JG) cells

 RENAL TUBULE ……
Together with the macula densa, they constitute

the juxtaglomerular apparatus ( JGA)

The JGA regulate blood pressure

In the last part of the DCT and continuing into the

collecting ducts, two different types of cells are

present
Principal cells- have receptors for both
antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone
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 FUNCTIONS OF NEPHRONS
Nephrons and collecting ducts perform three basic

processes: glomerular filtration, tubular

reabsorption, and tubular secretion
Glomerular filtration- water and most solutes in

blood plasma move across the wall of capillaries in

the glomeruli where they are filtered and move into
the glomerular capsule and then into the renal tubule
 FUNCTIONS OF NEPHRONS

Tubular reabsorption- tubule cells reabsorb about

99 percent of the filtered water and many useful

solutes
Tubular secretion- the renal tubule and duct cells

secrete other materials, such as wastes, drugs, and

excess ions, into the fluid
Nephrons help maintain homeostasis of blood
 Glomerular Filtration
The fluid that enters the capsular space is called the

glomerular filtrate
The daily volume of glomerular filtrate in adults is

150 liters in females and 180 liters in males

99% of the glomerular filtrate returns to the bloods

via tubular reabsorption, only 1–2 liters are excreted

as urine.
 Glomerular Filtration
Together, glomerular capillaries and podocytes

form a leaky barrier referred to as the filtration

membrane or endothelial–capsular membrane
Permits filtration of water and small solutes but

prevents filtration of most plasma proteins, blood

cells, and platelets
 Glomerular Filtration
Substances move from the bloodstream through

three filtration barriers—endothelial cells of the

glomerulus, the basal lamina, and a filtration slit
formed by a podocyte:
Endothelial cells of the glomerulus are quite leaky

because they have large fenestrations that are 0.07–

0.1 m in diameter
 Glomerular Filtration
Located among the glomerular capillaries and in the

cleft b/n afferent and efferent arterioles are

mesangial cells, contractile cells that help regulate
glomerular filtration
The basal lamina, a layer of material b/n the

endothelium of the glomerulus and the podocytes,

consists of minute fibers in a glycoprotein matrix
 Glomerular Filtration
Extending from each podocyte are thousands of

foot like processes termed pedicels that wrap around

a glomerulus
The spaces between pedicels are the filtration slits

 A thin membrane, the slit membrane, extends

across each filtration slit

 Tubular Reabsorption
PCT make the largest contribution for reabsorption

Transcellular reabsorption -reabsorbed substances

move through the epithelial cells and then into

peritubular
Capillaries
Paracellular reabsorption –reabsorbed substances

move b/n renal tubule epithelial cells


 Tubular Secretion
The transfer of materials from the blood and tubule

cells into the glomerular filtrate

Secreted substances include H, K, ammonium

ions, creatinine, and certain drugs such as penicillin

Tubular secretion has two important outcomes:
The secretion of H helps control blood pH, and the

secretion of other substances helps eliminate them

from the body
 URINE TRANSPORTATION, STORAGE,
AND ELIMINATION

Urine drains through the minor calyces, which join

to become major calyces that unite to form the

renal pelvis
From the renal pelvis, urine first drains into the

ureters and then into the urinary bladder; urine is

then discharged from the body through the single
urethra
 Ureters
Each of the two ureters transports urine from the

renal pelvis of one kidney to the urinary bladder

Peristaltic contractions of the muscular walls of

the ureters push urine toward the urinary bladder,

but hydrostatic pressure and gravity also contribute
The ureters are 25–30 cm long and are thick-

walled, narrow tubes that vary in diameter from 1 -

 Ureters
The ureters are retroperitoneal

At the base of the urinary bladder the ureters curve

medially and pass obliquely through the wall of the

posterior aspect of the urinary bladder
There is a physiological valve at base of the

bladder
 Ureters
Ureters are formed of three coats or layers

Mucosa-is a mucous membrane with

transitional epithelium and an underlying
lamina propria of areolar connective tissue
with considerable collagen, elastic fibers, and
lymphatic tissue
 Histology of ureter

Muscularis- inner longitudinal and outer

circular layers of smooth muscle fibers
The distal third of the ureters also contains a

third, outer layer of longitudinal muscle

Adventitia- areolar connective tissue
containing blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and
nerves
 Ureters
The arterial supply of the ureters is from the renal,

testicular or ovarian, common iliac, and inferior

vesical arteries
The veins have names corresponding to those of

the arteries and eventually terminate in the inferior

vena cava
The ureters are innervated by the renal plexuses,
 Urinary Bladder
The urinary bladder is a hollow, distensible

muscular organ situated in the pelvic cavity

posterior to the pubic symphysis
In males, it is directly anterior to the rectum; in

females it is anterior to the vagina and inferior to

the uterus
It is held in position by folds of the peritoneum
 Urinary Bladder
The shape of the urinary bladder depends on how

much urine it contains

Empty, it is collapsed; when slightly distended it

becomes spherical; as urine volume increases it

becomes pear-shaped and rises into the abdominal
cavity
Urinary bladder capacity averages 700–800 mL;
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 Urinary Bladder
In the floor of the urinary bladder is a small

triangular area called the trigone

Posterior corners -two ureteral openings

Anterior corner-opening into the urethra, the

internal urethral orifice

Because its mucosa is firmly bound to the
muscularis, the trigone has a smooth appearance.
 Urinary Bladder
Three coats make up the wall of the urinary

bladder
1. Mucosa- a transitional epithelium and an
underlying lamina propria
Rugae (folds in the mucosa) are also present.

2. Muscularis (detrusor muscle)- Three layers of

smooth muscle fibers:
 Urinary Bladder

The inner longitudinal, middle circular, and outer

longitudinal
Around the opening to the urethra the circular

fibers form an internal urethral sphincter

Inferior to it is the external urethral sphincter,

which is composed of skeletal muscle

3. Adventitia- on the posterior and inferior surfaces,
a layer of areolar connective tissue
 Urinary Bladder
Over the superior surface is the serosa, a layer of

peritoneum
Discharge of urine from the urinary bladder, called

micturition, is also known as urination or voiding.

Micturition occurs via a combination of
involuntary and voluntary muscle contractions
When the volume of urine exceeds 200–400 mL,

pressure within the urinary bladder increases

 Urinary Bladder
Stretch receptors in its wall transmit nerve
impulses into the spinal cord.
These impulses propagate to the micturition

center in sacral spinal cord segments S2 and S3

Trigger a spinal reflex called the micturition

reflex
Parasympathetic impulses to the urinary bladder
 Urinary Bladder
The nerve impulses cause contraction of the

detrusor muscle and relaxation of the internal

urethral sphincter muscle
The micturition center inhibits somatic motors that

innervate skeletal muscle of external urethral

sphincter
Upon contraction of the urinary bladder wall and

relaxation of the sphincters, urination takes place

 Urinary Bladder
The arteries of the urinary bladder

The superior vesical (arises from the umbilical

artery)
The middle vesical (arises from the umbilical

artery or a branch of the superior vesical)

The inferior vesical (arises from the internal iliac

artery, a trunk with the internal pudendal and

superior gluteal arteries, or a branch of the internal
 Urinary Bladder

The veins from the urinary bladder pass to the

IIV
The nerves supplying

Arise partly from the hypogastric sympathetic

plexus and partly from the second and third sacral

nerves (pelvic splanchnic nerve).
 Urethra
a small tube leading from the internal urethral

orifice to the exterior of the body

The urethra is the terminal portion of the urinary

system and the passageway for discharging urine

from the body
In males it
 Urethra
a small tube leading from the internal urethral

orifice to the exterior of the body

The urethra is the terminal portion of the urinary

system and the passageway for discharging urine

from the body
In males it discharges semen as well
 Urethra
In females, the urethra lies directly posterior to

the pubic symphysis,

is directed obliquely inferiorly and anteriorly,

and has a length of 4 cm

The opening of the urethra to the exterior, the

external urethral orifice, is located b/n the

clitoris and the vaginal opening
 Urethra
The wall of the female urethra consists

Mucosa- epithelium and lamina propria

Near the urinary bladder-transitional epithelium

Near the external urethral orifice -nonkeratinized

stratified squamous epithelium

 Urethra
Muscularis -circularly arranged smooth muscle

fibers and is continuous with that of the urinary

bladder
The male urethra first passes through the

prostate, then through the deep perineal

muscles, and finally through the penis, a
distance of about 20 cm
 Urethra
1. The prostatic urethra passes through the

prostate;
2. The membranous (intermediate) urethra, the

shortest portion, passes through the deep

perineal muscles;
3. The spongy urethra- the longest portion,

passes through the penis

 Urethra
The mucosa of the prostatic urethra -transitional

epithelium that becomes stratified columnar

The mucosa of the membranous urethra -

stratified columnar or pseudostratified columnar

epithelium.
spongy urethra - stratified columnar or
pseudostratified columnar epithelium,
Near the external urethral orifice-nonkeratinized
 Urethra
The lamina propria of the male urethra is areolar

connective tissue with elastic fibers and a plexus of

veins.
The muscularis of the prostatic urethra is
composed of wisps of mostly circular smooth
muscle fibers superficial to the lamina propria
These circular fibers help form the internal urethral
 Urethra
The muscularis of the membranous urethra

consists of circularly arranged skeletal muscle

fibers of the urogenital diaphragm that help form
the external urethral sphincter of the urinary
bladder.
The prostatic urethra contains the openings of

(1) ducts that transport secretions from the prostate

(2) the seminal vesicles and ductus (vas) deferens

 Urethra
The openings of the ducts of the bulbourethral

glands or Cowper’s glands into the spongy

urethra
Throughout the urethra, but especially in the

spongy urethra, the openings of the ducts of

urethral glands or Littré glands discharge
mucus during sexual arousal and ejaculation.
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 Aging and the Urinary System

Changes in the size and functioning of the kidneys

begin at 30.
Gradual reduction in kidney size.

Reduced blood flow to the kidneys.

Decrease in the number of functional nephrons.

Reabsorption and secretion are reduced.

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 Aging and the Urinary System

Diminished ability to filter and cleanse the blood.

Ability to control blood volume and blood pressure

is reduced.
Bladder decreases in size &more frequent
urination.
Control of the urethral sphincters—and micturition

—may be lost.
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 Summary

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Questions?????