ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY

TOPIC:THE URINARY SYSTEM

REFERENCE: ESSENTIAL OF HUMAN ANATOMY (EIGHT EDITION) BY ELAINE MARIEB
PROFESSOR: MA. ROSARIO MEÑEZ-QUEJADO, RMT, Ed.D.

Functions of the Urinary System

 Elimination of waste products
 Nitrogenous wastes, Toxins, Drugs
 Regulate aspects of homeostasis
 Water balance
 Electrolytes
 Acid-base balance in the blood
 Blood pressure
 Red blood cell production
 Activation of vitamin D
Organs of the Urinary system
 Kidneys
 Ureters
 Urinary bladder
 Urethra
Location of the Kidneys
 Against the dorsal body wall
 At the level of T12 to L3
 The right kidney is slightly lower than the left
 Attached to ureters, renal blood vessels, and nerves at renal hilus
 Atop each kidney is an adrenal gland
Coverings of the Kidneys
 Renal capsule
 Surrounds each kidney
 Adipose capsule
 Surrounds the kidney
 Provides protection to the kidney
 Helps keep the kidney in its correct location
Regions of the Kidney
 Renal cortex – outer region
 Renal medulla – inside the cortex
 Renal pelvis – inner collecting tube
Kidney Structures
 Medullary pyramids – triangular regions of tissue in the medulla
 Renal columns – extensions of cortex-like material inward
 Calyces – cup-shaped structures that funnel urine towards the renal pelvis
 Blood Flow in the Kidneys

Nephrons
 The structural and functional units of the kidneys
 Responsible for forming urine
 Main structures of the nephrons
 Glomerulus
 Renal tubule
Glomerulus
 A specialized capillary bed
 Attached to arterioles on both sides (maintains high pressure)
 Large afferent arteriole
  Narrow efferent arteriole
 Capillaries are covered with podocytes from the renal tubule
 The glomerulus sits within a glomerular capsule (the first part of the renal tubule)
Renal Tubule
 Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
 Proximal convoluted tubule
 Loop of Henle
 Distal convoluted tubule
Types of Nephrons
 Cortical nephrons
 Located entirely in the cortex
 Includes most nephrons
 Juxtamedullary nephrons
 Found at the boundary of the cortex and medulla
Peritubular Capillaries
 Arise from efferent arteriole of the glomerulus
 Normal, low pressure capillaries
 Attached to a venule
 Cling close to the renal tubule
 Reabsorb (reclaim) some substances from collecting tubes
Urine Formation Processes
 Filtration
 Reabsorption
 Secretion
 Filtration
Nonselective passive process
 Water and solutes smaller than proteins are forced through capillary walls
 Blood cells cannot pass out to the capillaries
 Filtrate is collected in the glomerular capsule and leaves via the renal tubule
Reabsorption
 The peritubular capillaries reabsorb several materials (Some water, Glucose
Amino acids, Ions)
 Some reabsorption is passive, most is active
 Most reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule
Materials Not Reabsorbed
 Nitrogenous waste products (Urea, Uric acid, Creatinine) and Excess water
Secretion – Reabsorption in Reverse
 Some materials move from the peritubular capillaries into the renal tubules
(Hydrogen and potassium ions , Creatinine)
Materials left in the renal tubule move toward the ureter
Formation of Urine
Characteristics of Urine Used for Medical Diagnosis
 Colored somewhat yellow due to the pigment urochrome (from the destruction of hemoglobin) and
solutes
 Sterile
 Slightly aromatic
 Normal pH of around 6
 Specific gravity of 1.001 to 1.035
Ureters
 Slender tubes attaching the kidney to the bladder
 Continuous with the renal pelvis
 Enter the posterior aspect of the bladder
 Runs behind the peritoneum
  Peristalsis aids gravity in urine transport
Urinary Bladder
 Smooth, collapsible, muscular sac
 Temporarily stores urine
 Trigone – three openings (Two from the ureter and One to the urethra)
Urinary Bladder Wall
 Three layers of smooth muscle (detrusor muscle)
 Mucosa made of transitional epithelium
The Urinary System
 Walls are thick and folded in an empty bladder
 Bladder can expand significantly without increasing internal pressure
Urethra
 Thin-walled tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body by peristalsis
 Release of urine is controlled by two sphincters
 Internal urethral sphincter (involuntary)
 External urethral sphincter (voluntary)
Urethra Gender Differences
 Length
 Females – 3–4 cm (1 inch) Males – 20 cm (8 inches)
 Location
 Females – along wall of the vagina Males – through the prostate and penis
 Function
 Females – only carries urine
 Males – carries urine and is a passageway for sperm cells
Micturition (Voiding)
 Both sphincter muscles must open to allow voiding
 The internal urethral sphincter is relaxed after stretching of the bladder
 Activation is from an impulse sent to the spinal cord and then back via the pelvic splanchnic
nerves
 The external urethral sphincter must be voluntarily relaxed
Maintaining Water Balance
Normal amount of water in the human body
 Young adult females – 50%
 Young adult males – 60%
 Babies – 75%
 Old age – 45%
Water is necessary for many body functions and levels must be maintained
Distribution of Body Fluid
 Intracellular fluid (inside cells)
 Extracellular fluid (outside cells)
 Interstitial fluid
 Blood plasma
The Link Between Water and Salt
 Changes in electrolyte balance causes water to move from one compartment to another
 Alters blood volume and blood pressure
 Can impair the activity of cells
Maintaining Water Balance
 Water intake must equal water output
 Sources for water intake
 Ingested foods and fluids
 Water produced from metabolic processes
 Sources for water output
 Vaporization out of the lungs
  Lost in perspiration
 Leaves the body in the feces
 Urine production
 Dilute urine is produced if water intake is excessive
 Less urine (concentrated) is produced if large amounts of water are lost
 Proper concentrations of various electrolytes must be present
Regulation of Water and Electrolyte Reabsorption
 Regulation is primarily by hormones
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) prevents excessive water loss in urine
 Aldosterone regulates sodium ion content of extracellular fluid
 Triggered by the rennin-angiotensin mechanism
 Cells in the kidneys and hypothalamus are active monitors
 Maintaining Water and Electrolyte Balance
 Maintaining Acid-Base Balance in Blood
 Blood pH must remain between 7.35 and 7.45 to maintain homeostasis
 Alkalosis – pH above 7.45
 Acidosis – pH below 7.35
 Most ions originate as byproducts of cellular metabolism
Most acid-base balance is maintained by the kidneys
Other acid-base controlling systems
 Blood buffers
 Respiration
Blood Buffers
 Molecules react to prevent dramatic changes in hydrogen ion (H+) concentrations
 Bind to H+ when pH drops
 Release H+ when pH rises
 Three major chemical buffer systems
 Bicarbonate buffer system
 Phosphate buffer system
 Protein buffer system
The Bicarbonate Buffer System
 Mixture of carbonic acid (H2CO3) and sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)
 Bicarbonate ions (HCO3–) react with strong acids to change them to weak acids
 Carbonic acid dissociates in the presence of a strong base to form a weak base and water
Respiratory System Controls of Acid-Base Balance
 Carbon dioxide in the blood is converted to bicarbonate ion and transported in the plasma
 Increases in hydrogen ion concentration produces more carbonic acid
 Excess hydrogen ion can be blown off with the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs
 Respiratory rate can rise and fall depending on changing blood pH
Renal Mechanisms of Acid-Base Balance
 Excrete bicarbonate ions if needed
 Conserve or generate new bicarbonate ions if needed
 Urine pH varies from 4.5 to 8.0
Developmental Aspects of the Urinary System
 Functional kidneys are developed by the third month
 Urinary system of a newborn
 Bladder is small
 Urine cannot be concentrate
 Control of the voluntary urethral sphincter does not start until age 18 months
Urinary infections are the only common problems before old age
Aging and the Urinary System
 There is a progressive decline in urinary function
 The bladder shrinks with aging
 Urinary retention is common in males