ADAL MEDICLAL UNIVERSITY
Urinary System
For HN, PH, MLT, & Nursing
Students
Urinary system
The urinary system consists
of two kidneys, two
ureters, one urinary
bladder and one urethra.
• A kidney is a reddish
brown, bean-shaped organ
with a smooth surface.
• It is about 12 centimeters
long, 6 centimeters wide,
and 3 centimeters thick in
an adult.
The Kidneys
• Kidneys extend from
level of T12 to L3 on
T12
posterior abdominal wall.
• Mostly under cover of
costal margin: receive L3
some protection from
ribs
• Rt kidney lies slightly
lower than the Lt, due to
bulk of Liver.
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The Function of Kidneys
• Excrete waste products of metabolism in the
form of urine
• Major role in controlling water & electrolyte
balance in the body
• Maintain acid-base balance in blood
• Urine formed in kidneys ureter urinary
bladder Urethra (prostatic, membranous,
penile) 4
The kidneys cont…
• Has a lateral convex border & medial concave
border
• On medial border Hilus of kidneys.
• Hilus transmits: renal vein, renal artery &
ureter
• Lymph vessels & sympathetic fibers also pass
thru the hilus.
Covering of the kidney
Kidneys are surrounded by fibrous capsule
outside capsule is a covering of fat, perirenal-
fat Renal fascia surrounds perirenal fat &
encloses kidneys & suprarenal glands.
• Perirenal fat, renal fascia & pararenal fat
support kidneys & hold them in position on
posterior abdominal wall
The Kidneys: Hilum
• Calyx
–A
collecting
sac
surroundin
g the renal
papilla
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The Kidneys: Renal Structure
• Outer cortex is light brown &
inner medulla is dark brown.
• Medulla compose of renal
pyramids, with bases oriented
toward cortex & apex toward
renal papilla.
• Cortex extends into medulla b/n
adjacent pyramids as renal
columns.
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The Kidneys: Renal Structure
• Renal Pelvis- (upper expanded end of Ureter)
divides into 2 or 3 Major- Calyces each of
which divides into 2 or 3 Minor Calyces.
• Each minor calyx is indented by apex of Renal
Pyramids Renal Papilla
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Nephrons: the functional unit of kidney are the nephrons.
Nephron contains two parts:
•A renal corpuscle, where blood plasma is filtered and
•A renal tubule in to which the filtered fluid, called
glomerular filtrate, passes.
The two parts that make up a renal corpuscle are the
glomerulus and the glomerular (bowmans) capsule, a
double walled cup of epithelial cells that surrounds the
glomerular capillaries
Glomerular filtrate first enters the Glomerular
capsule and then passes in to the renal tubule.
In order that fluid passes through them, the four
main sections of the renal tubule are
The proximal convoluted tubule,
The loop of henle,
The distal convoluted tubule and
Collecting duct.
• Proximal denotes the part of the tubule attached to the
Glomerular capsule, and distal denotes the part that is
farther away.
• Convoluted means the tubule is tightly coiled rather
than straight.
• The renal corpuscle and both convoluted tubules lie
within the renal cortex; the loop of henle extends into
the renal medulla.
Blood supply and innervations
Arteries
Renal arteries
Veins
Renal veins
Nerve
Sympathetic and
parasympathetic
Transportation, storage and elimination of urine:
Urine produced by the nephrons drains in to the
minor calyces, which join to become major
calyces that unite to form the renal pelvis.
From the renal pelvis, urine drains first in to the
ureters and then into the urinary bladder;
urine is then discharged from the body through
the urethra.
Ureters
Each two ureters transports urine from the renal pelvis
of one of the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
The ureters pass under the urinary bladder for several
centimeters, causing the bladder to compress the
ureters and thus prevents back flow of urine when
pressure builds up in the bladder during urination.
The wall of the ureters consists of three layers.
The inner layer is the mucosa, containing transitional
epithelium.
• Mucus secreted by goblet cells of the mucosa prevents
the cells from coming in contact with urine.
The middle layer consists of smooth muscle
• The urine is transported from the renal pelvis to the
urinary bladder primarily by peristaltic contractions of
this smooth muscle.
The outer layer consist of areolar connective tissue
containing blood vessels, lymphatic vessels and nerves.
Urinary Bladder
• The urinary bladder is a hollow muscular
organ situated in the pelvic cavity behind the
pubic symphysis.
In male, it is directly in front of the rectum.
Females, in front of vagina and below uterus.
Smaller in female because uterus occupies the
space just superior to the urinary bladder.
Urinary Bladder cont…
•It consists of 3 layers
Mucosa: Like the ureters, the mucosa of the urinary
bladder contains transitional epithelium
Muscularis: The muscular layer of the urinary bladder
wall consists of three layers of smooth muscle called the
detrusor muscle.
Adventitia:; all outer part of urinary bladder has a
fibrous outer covering except for the upper part of the
bladder which is covered by serous outer coat
Internal structure
– The interior of the bladder has openings for
both ureters and the urethra
– The triangular region of the bladder base
outlined by these openings is called the trigone
– The ureters open at superior angle of trigone
and the urethra open at inferior angle of
trigone.
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Urethra
Muscular tube that extend from internal urethral orifice
to exterior
Passage way for discharging urine (semen in male)
Male urethra
Long, about 15-20cm
has 3 portions: prostatic, membranous and penile
(spongy) urethra.
Prostatic urethra
– about 3cm long
– passes through prostate
– widest and most dilatable part
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Membranous urethra
– Shortest (1-2cm), thinnest and narrowest
– Transverse urogenital diaphragm
– Surrounded by sphincter urethra muscle and
perineal membrane
– posterolateral to it on each side is bulbourethral
gland and duct
Spongy urethra
– longest, about 15 cm
– passes through bulb of penis and corpus
spongiosum and ends at external urethral orifice.
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Female urethra
• Shorter (about 4cm)
• Passes anteroinferiorly from urinary bladder
• It opens 2 cm posterior to the clitoris in vestibule of
vagina
• Its inferior end is surrounded by sphincter urethra
muscle
• Urethral glands are found in superior part called
paraurethral glands
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Urethra cont…
Around the opening to the urethra is an internal
urethral sphincter composed of smooth muscle.
The opening and closing of internal sphincter is
involuntary.
Below the internal sphincter is the external urethral
sphincter, which is composed of skeletal muscle and is
under voluntary control.
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