URINARY SYSTEM

components:

kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra e!cretion o "aste products elimination o orei#n substances re#ulation o the amount o "ater in the body control o the concentration o most compounds in the

unction

unctional steps $related to anatomy%

iltration & #lomeruli o the kidney selecti'e resorption and e!cretion & tubular system o the kidney

also unctions as an endocrine or#an secretin# erythropoietin $cortical ibrocytes% and prosta#landin $modi ied medullary ibrocytes%

The (idney

Nephron: basic unctional unit

)lomeruli and the tubular system

The )lomerulus $or renal corpuscle%

the round$*+,- mm in diameter% blind be#innin# o the nephron, in'a#inated by a tu t o capillaries at the 'ascular pole o the #lomerulus Substances "hich lea'e the capillaries enter the renal tubule at the urinary pole o the #lomerulus

the #lomerulus

.o"man/s capsule

encloses the #lomerulus t"o layers o epithelium

outer or parietal layer: orm a simple s0uamous epithelium, inner layer or 'isceral layer: podocytes1 are e!tremely comple! in shape

pedicles

the #lomerulus

Small oot&like processes o the cytoplasm o podocytes orm a enestrated epithelium around the enestrated capillaries o the #lomerulus openin#s bet"een the pedicles spans iltration slits thick connecti'e tissue bet"een the podocytes and endothelium

iltration slits

iltration slit membrane

basal lamina

#lomerular iltration barrier

The basal lamina and the slit membranes "hich pre'ents some lar#e molecules rom enterin# the capsular space bet"een the outer and inner epithelial layers o .o"man/s capsule orm the connecti'e tissue that #i'es structural support to podocytes and 'essels is the dri'in# orce in the ormation o about 2-3 ml o #lomerular iltrate per minute, About 2-4 ml o the #lomerular iltrate is reabsorbed in the tubules o the nephron,

Mesan#ial cells

.lood pressure

Tubules o the Nephron

can be di'ided into pro!imal and distal tubules,

"hich in turn ha'e con'oluted and strai#ht portions,

Intermediate tubules: connect the pro!imal and distal tubules,

loop o 5enle: Runs rom the corte! o the kidney to"ards the medulla $descendin#%, then turns and runs back to"ards the corte! $ascendin#%

The pro!imal tubule

is the lon#est section o the nephron $about 24 mm% The con'oluted part coils close to the #lomerulus in the corte!, diameter is *63 7m, Their "alls are ormed by a lo" columnar epithelium, The eosinophilic cells o the epithelium ha'e a "ide brush border and are acti'e in endocytosis, They almost completely resorb substances o nutritional 'alue rom the #lomerular iltrate In the pro!imal tubules the 'olume o the #lomerular iltrate is reduced by about 83 strai#ht portion descends to"ards the medulla,

The Thin se#ment 9 the :oop o 5enle

intermediate tubule lattened, only *2&- 7m hi#h epithelium1 only *23 7m "ide permeable to "ater but not to solutes $to#ether "ith strai#ht portion o ;ro!imal tubule% leads into the strai#ht part o the distal tubule

<istal Tubule

strai#ht part: ormed by lo" cuboidal cells "ithout a brush border $ e" short micro'illi present but di icult to see% diameter o the tubule e!pands to *=3 7m Epithelial cells transport >l $acti'e% and Na ions $passi'e% out o the tubular lumen into the surroundin# peritubular space $to#ether "ith ascendin# loop o henle% epithelium is impermeable to "ater,

macula densa: structure ormed by the contact o distal tubule "ith #lomerulus >on'oluted distal tubule: a ter the strai#ht part

about 3 mm lon# >ells are sensiti'e to the hormone aldosterone, "hich is produced in the ?ona #lomerulosa o the adrenal #lands, Aldosterone stimulates the acti'e resorption o sodium ions and the e!cretion o potassium ions,

>ollectin# ducts

ormed rom the mer#in# o con'oluted tubule 'ia connectin# ducts epithelia are permeable to "ater but not to sodium ions in the presence o A<5 mer#e to orm papillary ducts $o .ellini%, "hich terminate on the tips o the renal papilla and empty into a distended, unnel shaped part $minor caly!% o the ureter,

The @u!ta#lomerular Apparatus

includes the macula densa, e!tra#lomerular mesan#ial cells and the Au!ta#lomerular cells surroundin# the a erent arteriole $modi ied smooth muscle cells%, "hich produce and secrete renin,

E!cretory ;assa#es

renal pel'is: ound "ithin the kidney1 ormed rom the mer#in# o the maAor calyces "hich in turn are ormed by the mer#in# o minor calyces, urine lo"s throu#h these structures to the ureter and is channelled to the bladder,

E!cretory passa#es

mucosa: transitional epithelium1 is 'irtually impenetrable to any components o the urine lamina propria: dense connecti'e tissue, "ith many bundles o coarse colla#enous ibres, muscularis: inner lon#itudinal and outer circular layer o smooth muscle cells ,

In lo"er parts o the ureter and the bladder an additional outer lon#itudinal layer o muscles is added to the irst t"o,

urethra

Initially lined by a transitional epithelium in males and emales, In males, it is replaced by a pseudostrati ied or strati ied columnar epithelium belo" the openin#s o the eAaculatory ducts into the urethra, The distal parts o the emale urethra and the distal end o the male urethra are lined by a strati ied s0uamous epithelium, The lamina propria contains loose connecti'e tissue, Smooth muscle cells in the muscularis are mainly oriented lon#itudinally, They are surrounded, in the middle part o the urethra $belo" the prostate in males%, by striated muscle cells o the