ANATOMY AND PHYSIOLOGY III

URINARY SYSTEM
Prepared by Robert D. Unciano
URINARY SYSTEM
TODAY'S DISCUSSION

Functions of the Urinary System

Kidney
Nephrons
Blood flow
Urine
Ureters
Urinary Bladder
Urethra
Functions of the
Urinary System
KIDNEYS DISPOSE OF WASTE
PRODUCTS IN URINE

Nitrogenous wastes
Toxins
Drugs
Excess ions

KIDNEYS’ REGULATORY
FUNCTIONS

Production of renin to maintain blood

pressure
Production of erythropoietin to
stimulate red blood cell production
Conversion of vitamin D to its active
form
KIDNEY
LOCATION OF THE KIDNEY

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 OF THE KIDNEY

An adult kidney is about 12 cm (5 in) long and 6 cm (2.5 in)

wide
Renal hilum
-A medial indentation where several structures enter or
exit the kidney (ureters, renal blood vessels, and nerves)
-An adrenal gland sits atop each kidney
 Fibrous capsule

Encloses each kidney

THREE
PROTECTIVE
Perirenal fat capsule

LAYERS Surrounds the kidney and cushions against

ENCLOSE THE
blows

KIDNEY Renal fascia

The most superficial layer that anchors the kidney and

adrenal gland to surrounding structures
 Renal cortex

Outer Region

Renal medulla

Deeper Region
Renal (medullary) pyramids—triangular regions of

THREE REGIONS tissue in the medulla

OF THE KIDNEY
Renal columns—extensions of cortexlike material that
separate the pyramids

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 theureter, and to the urinary bladder for storage
NEPHRONS
STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL UNITS OF THE
KIDNEYS

Each kidney contains over a million nephrons

Each nephron consists of two main structures
-Renal corpuscle
-Renal tubule
 Glomerulus

A knot of capillaries made of podocytes

Podocytes

RENAL
Make up the inner (visceral) layer of the glomerular
capsule

CORPUSCLE • Foot processes cling to the glomerulus

• Filtration slits create a porous membrane—ideal for
filtration

Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule

A cup-shaped structure that surrounds the glomerulus

First part of the renal tubule
RENAL TUBULE
EXTENDS FROM GLOMERULAR CAPSULE AND
ENDS WHEN IT EMPTIES INTO THE COLLECTING
DUCT
 Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)

SUBDIVISIONS Nephron loop (loop of Henle)

OF THE RENAL
TUBULE
Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
 Cortical nephrons

Located entirely in the cortex

Include most nephrons

Juxtamedullary nephrons

SUBDIVISIONS
OF THE RENAL
Found at the cortex-medulla junction
Nephron loop dips deep into the medulla

TUBULE Collecting ducts collect urine from both types of

nephrons, through the renal pyramids, to the calyces,
and then to the renal pelvis
 Fed and drained by arterioles

Afferent arteriole—arises from a cortical radiate artery

and feeds the glomerulus
Efferent arteriole—receives blood that has passed
through the glomerulus

GLOMERULUS Specialized for filtration

High pressure forces fluid and solutes out of

blood and into the glomerular capsule
 Arise from the efferent arteriole of the
glomerulus

PERITUBULAR
CAPILLARY
Low-pressure, porous capillaries

BEDS
Adapted for absorption instead of filtration
 Cling close to the renal tubule to receive solutes
and water from tubule cells

PERITUBULAR
CAPILLARY
Drain into the interlobar veins

BEDS
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, Cortical radiate veins → arcuate
veins → interlobar veins → renal vein
There are no segmental veins
Renal vein returns blood to the inferior vena cava
Urine Formation and
Characteristics
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
THE GLOMERULUS IS A FILTER

Filtration is a nonselective passive process

-Water and solutes smaller than proteins are forced
through glomerular capillary walls
-Proteins and blood cells are normally too large to pass
through the filtration membrane
-Once in the capsule, fluid is called filtrate
-Filtrate leaves via the renal tubule
Filtrate will be formed as long as systemic blood pressure
is normal
-If arterial blood pressure is too low, filtrate formation
stops because glomerular pressure will be too low to form
filtrate
TUBULAR REABSORPTION
THE PERITUBULAR CAPILLARIES REABSORB
USEFUL SUBSTANCES FROM THE RENAL
TUBULE
CELLS, SUCH AS:
WATER
GLUCOSE
AMINO ACIDS
IONS

Some reabsorption is passive; most is active (ATP)

Most reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted
tubule
TUBULAR SECRETION
REABSORPTION IN REVERSE

Some materials move from the blood of the peritubular

capillaries into the renal tubules to be eliminated in
filtrate
-Hydrogen and potassium ions
-Creatinine
TUBULAR SECRETION
MATERIALS LEFT IN THE RENAL TUBULE MOVE
TOWARD THE URETER

Nitrogenous wastes
Nitrogenous waste products are poorly reabsorbed
Tend to remain in the filtrate and are excreted from the
body in the urine

Urea—end product of protein breakdown

Uric acid—results from nucleic acid metabolism
Creatinine—associated with creatine metabolism in muscles
TUBULAR SECRETION
IN 24 HOURS, ABOUT 1.0 TO 1.8 LITERS OF
URINE ARE PRODUCED
URINE VS FILTRATE

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
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
URINE CHARACTERISTICS

Solutes normally found in Solutes NOT normally

urine found in urine

Sodium and potassium ions Glucose

Urea, uric acid, creatinine Blood proteins
Ammonia Red blood cells
Bicarbonate ions Hemoglobin
WBCs (pus)
Bile
URETERS
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

Peristalsis aids gravity in urine transport

URINARY BLADDER
SMOOTH, COLLAPSIBLE, MUSCULAR SAC
SITUATED POSTERIOR TO THE PUBIC
SYMPHYSIS

Stores urine temporarily

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)
In males, the prostate surrounds the neck of the urinary
bladder
URINARY BLADDER
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
URINARY BLADDER
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
THIN-WALLED TUBE THAT CARRIES URINE
FROM THE URINARY BLADDER TO THE
OUTSIDE OF THE BODY BY PERISTALSIS

Function
Females—carries only urine
Males—carries urine and sperm
URETHRA
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

Prostatic urethra
Membranous urethra
Spongy urethra
RELEASE OF URINE IS CONTROLLED BY TWO
SPHINCTERS

Internal urethral External urethral

sphincter sphincter

Involuntary and made of Voluntary and made of

smooth muscle skeletal muscle
MICTURITION
VOIDING, OR EMPTYING OF THE URINARY
BLADDER
TWO SPHINCTERS CONTROL THE RELEASE
OF URINE, THE INTERNAL URETHRAL
SPHINCTER ANDEXTERNAL 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
MICTURITION
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