THE URINARY SYSTEM
THE URINARY SYSTEM
• The urinary system also known as the renal
system, plays a role to eliminate wastes from
the body, regulate blood volume and
pressure, control levels of electrolytes and
metabolites, and regulate blood pH.
Organs of the urinary system
1. Two kidneys which secrete
urine
2. Two ureters which convey urine
from the kidneys to the urinary
bladder
3. One urinary bladder where
urine is collected and
temporarily stored
4. One urethra through which the
urine is discharged from the
bladder to the exterior 3
Functions of the Urinary system
• Removal of waste product from the body (mainly
urea and uric acid)
• Regulation of electrolyte balance (e.g. sodium,
potassium and calcium)
• Regulating blood volume and pressure
• Stabilising blood pH
• The urinary system excretes a broad variety of
metabolic wastes, toxins, drugs, hormones,
salts, hydrogen ions, and water.
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KIDNEYS
Structure:
• Primary organs of the urinary system.
The kidneys lie against the posterior
abdominal wall at the level of vertebra
T12 to L3 (12th thoracic and 3rd lumbar
vertebra)
• The right kidney is slightly lower than the
left because of the space occupied by the
liver above it.
• Each kidney weighs about 160 g and
measures about 12 cm long, 5 cm wide,
and 2.5 cm thick Fig: vertebra
KIDNEYS
• The lateral surface is convex while the medial surface is
concave and has a slit, the hilum, where it receives the renal
nerves, blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, and ureter.
• The kidney is protected by three layers of connective tissue:
(1)A fibrous renal fascia, which binds the kidney and associated
organs to the abdominal wall;
(2)The adipose capsule, a layer of fat that cushions the kidney
and holds it in place;
(3)The renal capsule, a fibrous sac that is anchored at the hilum
and encloses the rest of the kidney like a cellophane wrapper,
and protects the kidney from trauma and infection.
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Figure: Location of the Kidney. Cross section of the
abdomen at the level of vertebra L1.
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Macroscopic Anatomy of the Kidney
Kidney has two regions.
• Cortex: is the outer
region that contains
renal corpuscles and
convoluted tubules.
• Medulla: is the inner
region.
- contains darker,
cone-shaped renal
pyramids that are
separated by cortical
columns.
- has parallel bundles
of loops of Henle and
collecting tubules
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Macroscopic Anatomy of the Kidney
• The tip of each of the renal pyramid is
its apex or papilla (plural: papillae).
• Funnel shaped cavities known as the
minor calyces (singular: minor calyx)
surround the papillae.
• 2-3 minor calyces fuse to form a
major calyx.
• Several major calyces join together to
form a large cavity known as the
renal pelvis that continues out of the
kidney to join the ureter.
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Functions of the Kidneys
Metabolism constantly produces a variety of waste
products that can poison the body if not eliminated. The
most fundamental role of the kidneys is to eliminate these
wastes and homeostatically regulate the volume and
composition of the body fluids. All of the following
processes are aspects of kidney function:
• They filter blood plasma, separate wastes from the
useful chemicals, and eliminate the wastes while returning
the rest to the bloodstream.
• They regulate blood volume and pressure by eliminating
or conserving water as necessary.
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Functions of the Kidneys
• They regulate the osmolarity of the body fluids by
controlling the relative amounts of water and solutes
eliminated.
•They secrete the enzyme renin, which activates
hormonal mechanisms that control blood pressure and
electrolyte balance.
• They secrete the hormone erythropoietin, which
controls the red blood cell count and oxygen-carrying
capacity of the blood.
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Functions of the Kidneys
• They contribute to calcium homeostasis.(PTH
influences absorption and calcitonin influces
elimination of calcium)
• They detoxify free radicals and drugs with the use
of peroxisomes.
•In times of starvation, they carry out
gluconeogenesis; they deaminate amino acids
(remove the NH2- group), excrete the amino group
as urea and synthesize glucose from the rest of the
molecule. 12
Vasculature of the kidney
• Each kidney has an indentation called the hilum at its
middle. At the hilum, the renal artery enters the kidney,
and the renal vein and ureter emerge. The renal artery is
a branch of the aorta, and the renal vein returns blood to
the inferior vena cava.
• The vascular system of the kidney is unique in having
two capillary beds in series (one following the other):
glomerulus followed by peritubular capillaries. 13
Vasculature of the kidney
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Nephron
If we take a microscopic view of the kidney, we will find
that the nephron is the structural and functional unit of the
kidney. Each kidney contains over a million nephrons. A
nephron is composed of:
a) Renal corpuscle (located in the cortex)
-Glomerulus (bundle of coiled capillaries)
-Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
It’s a two-layered capsule. The parietal (outer) layer of the
capsule is a simple squamous epithelium, while the visceral
layer consists of cells called podocytes wrapped around
the capillaries.
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b) Tubular section
-Proximal convoluted tubule: arises from the glomerular
capsule. It is the longest and most coiled of the four regions and thus
dominates histological sections of renal cortex.
-Loop of Henle: forms a long U-shaped nephron loop (loop of
Henle). The first portion of the loop, the descending limb, passes from
the cortex into the medulla. At its deep end it turns 180° and forms an
ascending limb that returns to the cortex.
-Distal convoluted tubule: When the nephron loop returns to
the cortex, it coils again and forms the distal convoluted tubule (DCT).
This is shorter and less convoluted than the PCT
- The Collecting Duct:The DCTs of several nephrons drain into
a straight tubule called the collecting duct, whichpasses down into the
medulla.
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Nephron
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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Renal Corpuscle (Glomerulus and Bowman’s
Capsule)
• The glomerulus (a highly coiled capillary system enclosed within the
Bowman’s capsule) is the site where the filtration of blood plasma occurs.
Blood enters the glomerulus through the afferent arteriole and leaves via the
efferent arteriole. As efferent arteriole diameter < afferent arteriole diameter, fluid is
forced out by pressure and collects in the Bowman’s capsule before travelling down the
tubular portion of the nephron.
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Glomerulus and Bowman’s Capsule
• Bowman’s capsule (a thin double layered capsule) is made of
parietal epithelial cells. (Side note: Epithelium is one of the 4
basic types of tissue, the others being muscular, nervous and
connective tissue).
• The glomerular filtration membrane consists of:
i)Endothelium
ii)Basement membrane, and
iii)Epithelial podocytes.
• The podocytes of the glomerular capsule are shaped somewhat
like octopi, with bulbous cell bodies and several thick arms.
Each arm has numerous little extensions called pedicels (foot
processes). Podocytes can contract and relax to control the rate
and filtration content.
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Glomerulus and Bowman’s Capsule
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Functions of different portions of the Renal Tubule
Note: Each collecting duct receives urine from several nephrons and run
straight through the cortex deep into the medulla. Several collecting ducts 21
empty their contents into a renal papilla.
Procedure of urine formation
Blood enters the Once blood is filtered
The renal artery divides Afferent arterioles take
kidney through the efferent arterioles take
in to ever smaller blood to the glomerulus to
renal artery at the site blood away from the
arteries and arterioles be filtered
of the hilum glomerulus
The PCT is concerned with The filtered substances Products which are filtered
The glomerulus is a
reabsorption- organic move into the proximal out: water, mineral salts,
network of capillaries
nutrients are reabsorbed and convoluted tubule amino acids, glucose,
which filters the blood
water follows because there hormones, urea, toxins
is a concentration gradient
Products which do not
filter and remain in the
The remaining filtrate Because water has been The walls of the ascending blood: Leukocytes,
moves into the descending reabsorbed the loop of henle are lined with erythrocytes, platelets,
loop of henle. This is lined concentration of the thicker cells, so water can’t plasma proteins
with thin cells so water filtrate is comparatively pass in or out. Instead
moves out high sodium and chloride is
The filtrate now enters
pumped out actively
A number of other nephrons the distal convoluted
join up to the collecting duct In the DCT the volume tubule- is it now only
which travels through the From the DCT the filtrate 20% of what it originally
and composition of the
medulla to the renal papilla now passes into the was.
filtrate can be adjusted
from where the filtrate is collecting duct.
but this is controlled by
emptied in the minor calyx hormones
2-3 minor calyces join Several major
up to make a major calyces join up to The renal pelvis joins The ureter transports the
calyx form the renal pelvis the ureter at the hilum filtrate/urine from the
kidney to the bladder
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Basic Steps in the Formation of Urine.
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Ureters
Each ureter is about 25 cm long and
carries urine from the renal pelvis to the
urinary bladder via peristaltic waves.
The wall of the ureter consists of three
layers. The outermost is a fibrous coat,
middle layer is muscular and the
innermost layer is called the mucosa
which secretes a protective mucus.
Functions of ureters
Propel urine from the kidney into the bladder by peristaltic
contraction.
Peristaltic wave occurs several times per minute increasing
in frequency with the volume of urine produced. 24
Urinary Bladder
• The Urinary Bladder is a ‘temporary storage’
reservoir for urine. It is roughly inverted pear
shaped, but becomes oval when filled with urine.
• The walls of bladder contain smooth muscle that can
expand considerably.
• Urine is retained in bladder by 2 sphincter muscles
located at its base.
• Inner sphincter is regulated reflexively.
• BUT external sphincter is under voluntary control.
• An average adult bladder will hold approximately
500 mL of urine. But the urge to urinate is triggered
by much smaller volumes.
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Urethra
It is a thin walled tube that conveys urine from bladder to
external environment.
Male Urethra
• 20 cm long
• Transports both urine & 1.
semen. External urethral 2.
orifice opens at tip of the
penis
3.
Female Urethra
• 3-4 cm long [1.5 inches]
• External urethral orifice is (a) Male urethra: 1.Prostatic urethra
separate from the 2. Membranous urethra
reproductive system 3.Spongy/penile urethra
(b) Female urethra
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