WEEK 14: URINARY SYSTEM

EXPECTED OUTCOME:

• List the major structure and functions of the urinary system.

• Describe the structure of the kidneys together with nephron and the location of the parts

of the nephron in the kidney.

• Identify the principal factors that influence filtration pressure, and explain how they

affect the rate of filtrate production.

• Elaborate the processes of how urine is being formed and excreted

TERMINOLOGIES:

Aldosterone - Hormone that causes the distal convoluted tubule to retain sodium, which

leads to the retention of water, resulting in increased blood pressure

Angiotensin - A plasma protein produced when renin is released from the kidney;

angiotensin II stimulates the adrenal glands to secrete aldosterone

Antidiuretic hormone - Hormone that inhibits diuresis by stimulating the kidneys to conserve water

Bowman’s capsule - Two layers of epithelial cells that envelop the glomerulus in an open- ended
covering; also called a glomerular capsule

Calyx - A cup-like structure that collects urine leaving the papilla of the kidney

Collecting duct - Receives drainage from the distal convoluted tubules of several different

nephrons; eventually drains into a minor calyx

Detrusor muscle - Wall of the bladder

Diuresis - The secretion of large amounts of urine

Glomerulus - Cluster of capillaries that are part of the renal corpuscles in the nephrons

Hilum - Concave notch on medial side of kidney; where blood vessels, the ureters, and

nerves enter and leave the kidney

Loop of Henle - U-shaped portion of the renal tubule

Micturition: Urination

Nephrons: The filtration units of the kidney

Renal corpuscles - One of the main components of nephrons, consisting of a glomerulus and Bowman’s
capsule, that filters blood plasma

Renal cortex - Outer region of the kidney; site of urine production

Renal medulla - Inner region of the kidney; site of urine collection

Renal tubules - Series of tube-like structures within the nephron; where urine is formed

Renin - Enzyme released by the kidneys in response to a drop in blood pressure that causes the
conversion of angiotensinogen into angiotensin I

Specific gravity - Measurement that indicates the amount of solid matter in a liquid

Tubular resorption - Process whereby chemicals are removed from filtrate in the renal tubules and
returned to the blood

Tubular secretion - Process whereby chemicals are added to the filtrate in the renal tubules

Ureters - Muscular tubes connecting the renal pelvis of each kidney with the bladder

Urethra - Small tube that conveys urine away from the bladder and out of the body

Urinary bladder - Collapsible muscular sac that stores urine

URINARY SYSTEM: AN OVERVIEW

 Functions
o Kidneys dispose of waste products in urine
 Nitrogenous wastes
 Toxins
 Drugs
 Excess ions
o Kidneys’ regulatory functions include:
 Production of renin to maintain blood pressure
 Production of erythropoietin to stimulate red blood cell production
 Conversion of vitamin D to its active form
 Organs
o Kidneys
 Location and structure
 The kidneys are situated against the dorsal body wall in a
retroperitoneal position (behind the parietal peritoneum)
 The kidneys are situated at the level of the T12 to L3 vertebrae
 The right kidney is slightly lower than the left (because of position of the
liver)
 Kidney structure
  An adult kidney is about 12 cm (5 in) long and 6 cm (2.5 in) wide
 Renal hilum
o A medial indentation where several structures enter or exit the
kidney (ureters, renal blood vessels, and nerves)
 An adrenal gland sits atop each kidney
 Three protective layers enclose the kidney
o Fibrous capsule encloses each kidney
o Perirenal fat capsule surrounds the kidney and cushions against
blows
o Renal fascia is the most superficial layer that anchors the kidney
and adrenal gland to surrounding structures
 Three regions revealed in a longitudinal section
o Renal cortex—outer region
o Renal medulla—deeper region
 Renal (medullary) pyramids—triangular regions of tissue
in the medulla
 Renal columns—extensions of cortexlike material that
separate the pyramids
o Renal pelvis—medial region that is a flat, funnel-shaped tube
 Calyces form cup-shaped “drains” that enclose the renal
pyramids
 Calyces collect urine and send it to the renal pelvis, on
to the ureter, and to the urinary bladder for storage
 Blood supply
 One-quarter of the total blood supply of the body passes through the
kidneys each minute
 Renal artery provides each kidney with arterial blood supply
 Renal artery divides into segmental arteries → interlobar arteries →
arcuate arteries → cortical radiate arteries
 Venous blood flow
o Cortical radiate veins → arcuate veins → interlobar veins →
renal vein
o There are no segmental veins
o Renal vein returns blood to the inferior vena cava
o Nephrons
 Structural and functional units of the kidneys
 Each kidney contains over a million nephrons
 Each nephron consists of two main structures
 Renal corpuscle consists of:
o Glomerulus, a knot of capillaries made of podocytes
 Podocytes make up the inner (visceral) layer of the
glomerular capsule
 Foot processes cling to the glomerulus
  Filtration slits create a porous membrane—
ideal for filtration
o Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule is a cup-shaped structure that
surrounds the glomerulus
 First part of the renal tubule
 Renal tubule
o Extends from glomerular capsule and ends when it empties into
the collecting duct
o From the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule, the subdivisions of
the renal tubule are:
 Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
 Nephron loop (loop of Henle)
 Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
o Cortical nephrons
 Located entirely in the cortex
 Include most nephrons
o Juxtamedullary nephrons
 Found at the cortex-medulla junction
 Nephron loop dips deep into the medulla
 Collecting ducts collect urine from both types of
nephrons, through the renal pyramids, to the calyces,
and then to the renal pelvis
o Two capillary beds associated with each nephron
 Glomerulus
 Fed and drained by arterioles
o Afferent arteriole—arises from a
cortical radiate artery and feeds the
glomerulus
o Efferent arteriole—receives blood that
has passed through the glomerulus
 Specialized for filtration
 High pressure forces fluid and solutes out of
blood and into the glomerular capsule
 Peritubular capillary beds
 Arise from the efferent arteriole of the
glomerulus
 Low-pressure, porous capillaries
 Adapted for absorption instead of filtration
 Cling close to the renal tubule to receive solutes
and water from tubule cells
 Drain into the interlobar veins
 Urine Formation and Characteristics
o Urine formation is the result of three processes
I. Glomerular filtration
 a. The glomerulus is a filter
b. Filtration is a nonselective passive process
i. Water and solutes smaller than proteins are forced through
glomerular capillary walls
ii. Proteins and blood cells are normally too large to pass through the
filtration membrane
iii. Once in the capsule, fluid is called filtrate
iv. Filtrate leaves via the renal tubule
 Filtrate will be formed as long as systemic blood pressure is normal
o If arterial blood pressure is too low, filtrate formation stops
because glomerular pressure will be too low to form filtrate
II. Tubular reabsorption
a. The peritubular capillaries reabsorb useful substances from the renal tubule
cells, such as:
i. Water
ii. Glucose
iii. Amino acids
iv. Ions
b. Some reabsorption is passive; most is active (ATP)
c. Most reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule
III. Tubular secretion
a. Reabsorption in reverse
b. Some materials move from the blood of the peritubular capillaries into the
renal tubules to be eliminated in filtrate
i. Hydrogen and potassium ions
ii. Creatinine
c. Secretion is important for:
i. Getting rid of substances not already in the filtrate
ii. Removing drugs and excess ions
iii. Maintaining acid-base balance of blood
d. Materials left in the renal tubule move toward the ureter
i. Nitrogenous wastes
1. Nitrogenous waste products are poorly reabsorbed, if at all
2. Tend to remain in the filtrate and are excreted from the
body in the urine
a. Urea—end product of protein breakdown
b. Uric acid—results from nucleic acid metabolism
c. Creatinine—associated with creatine metabolism in
muscles
o In 24 hours, about 1.0 to 1.8 liters of urine are produced
o Urine and filtrate are different
 Filtrate contains everything that blood plasma does (except proteins)
 Urine is what remains after the filtrate has lost most of its water, nutrients, and
necessary ions through reabsorption
  Urine contains nitrogenous wastes and substances that are not needed
o Urine characteristics
 Clear and pale to deep yellow in color
 Yellow color is normal and due to the pigment urochrome (from the destruction
of hemoglobin) and solutes
 Dilute urine is a pale, straw color
 Sterile at the time of formation
 Slightly aromatic, but smells like ammonia with time
 Slightly acidic (pH of 6)
 Specific gravity of 1.001 to 1.035
o Solutes normally found in urine
 Sodium and potassium ions
 Urea, uric acid, creatinine
 Ammonia
 Bicarbonate ions
o Solutes NOT normally found in urine
 Glucose
 Blood proteins
 Red blood cells
 Hemoglobin
 WBCs (pus)
 Bile
 Ureters
o Slender tubes 25–30 cm (10–12 inches) attaching the kidney to the urinary bladder
 Continuous with the renal pelvis
 Enter the posterior aspect of the urinary bladder
 Run behind the peritoneum
o Peristalsis aids gravity in urine transport\
o Urinary Bladder
o Smooth, collapsible, muscular sac situated posterior to the pubic symphysis
o Stores urine temporarily
o Trigone—triangular region of the urinary bladder base based on three openings
 Two openings from the ureters (ureteral orifices)
 One opening to the urethra (internal urethral orifice)
o In males, the prostate surrounds the neck of the urinary bladder
 Urinary Bladder
o Wall of the urinary bladder
 Three layers of smooth muscle collectively called the detrusor muscle
 Mucosa made of transitional epithelium
 Walls are thick and folded in an empty urinary bladder
 Urinary bladder can expand significantly without increasing internal pressure
o Capacity of the urinary bladder
 A moderately full bladder is about 5 inches long and holds about 500 ml of urine
 Capable of holding twice that amount of urine
 Urethra
o Thin-walled tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body
by peristalsis
o Function
 Females—carries only urine
 Males—carries urine and sperm
o Release of urine is controlled by two sphincters
 Internal urethral sphincter
 Involuntary and made of smooth muscle
 External urethral sphincter
 Voluntary and made of skeletal muscle
 Length
 In females: 3 to 4 cm (1.5 inches long)
 In males: 20 cm (8 inches long)
 Location
 Females—anterior to the vaginal opening
 Males—travels through the prostate and penis
o Prostatic urethra
o Membranous urethra
o Spongy urethra
 Micturition
o Voiding, or emptying of the urinary bladder
o Two sphincters control the release of urine, the internal urethral sphincter and external
urethral sphincter
 Bladder collects urine to 200 ml
 Stretch receptors transmit impulses to the sacral region of the spinal cord
 Impulses travel back to the bladder via the pelvic splanchnic nerves to cause
bladder contractions
 When contractions become stronger, urine is forced past the involuntary
internal sphincter into the upper urethra
 Urge to void is felt
 The external sphincter is voluntarily controlled, so micturition can usually be
delayed
 Fluid, Electrolyte, and Acid-Base Balance
 Blood composition depends on three factors
 Diet
 Cellular metabolism
 Urine output
REFERENCES:

Marieb, E. N., & Keller, S. M. (2018). Essentials of Human Anatomy & Physiology. New York, New York:
Pearson Education, Inc. .

Rizzo, D. C. (2016). Fundamentals of Anatomy and Physiology (Fourth ed.). Boston, Massachussetts:
Cengage Learning.

Thompson, G. S. (2015). Understanding Anatomy & Physiology: A Visual, Auditory, Interactive

Tortora, G. J., & Freudenrich, C. C. (2011). Visualizing Anatomy & Physiology. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

VanPutte, C., Regan, J., & Russo, A. (2016). Seeley's Essentials of Anatomy & Physiology. New York,