Histology of urinary system

Dr.Omer Tagelsir Abdalla

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Blood Supply to the Nephron
 Arteries (down) Veins (up)
Abdominal aorta Vena cava
Renal artery Renal vein
Segmental arteries –
Lobar arteries –
Interlobar artery Interlobar vein
Afferent arterioles Efferent arterioles
Glomerulus Glomerulus

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 Arteries (down) Veins (up)

Abdominal aorta Vena cava

Renal artery Renal vein

Segmental arteries –

Lobar arteries –

Interlobar artery Interlobar vein

Afferent arterioles Efferent arterioles

Glomerulus Glomerulus 4
The Nephron

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HISTOLOGY OF THE URINARY SYSTEM
• Kidney
* Parts of nephron and structures
Juxtaglomerular apparatus
Functional aspects
Blood circulation
• Ureter and urinary bladder
• General features
• Urinary epithelium Urethra
* Structure of male and female urethra
 Kidney
Main organ of the excretory system
Kidney is built of billions of little tubes called the
nephrons.
At the beginning of each nephron, a web of capillaries
releases much water and other molecules into the
nephron.
The urine is collected in the urinary bladder and, when it
fills up, it is excreted via urethra into the outside
environment.
 Kidney's Internal Structure
 Cortex -- the outer part of the kidney;
 Medulla -- the inner portion of the
kidney;
 Pyramids -- the triangular-shaped
divisions of the medulla of the kidney;
 Papilla -- narrow, innermost tip of the
pyramid;
 Pelvis -- the kidney or renal pelvis is
an extension of the upper end of the
ureter (the tube that drains urine into
the bladder);
 Calyx -- each calyx is a division of
the renal pelvis; opening into each
calyx is the papilla of a pyramid.
 Nephron
• Basic structural and functional unit of the
kidney.
• Its chief function is to regulate the
concentration of water and soluble
substances like sodium salt
• Filtering the blood, reabsorbing what is
needed and excreting the rest as urine.
• A nephron eliminates wastes from the body,
• Regulates blood volume and blood pressure,
• controls levels of electrolytes and metabolites,
• Regulates blood pH.
• Its functions are are regulated by the endocrine
system by hormones such as
Aldosterone
Antidiuretic hormone
Parathyroid hormone
 The Nephron

Microscopic units of a kidney,

It has 2 main parts,
1.Renal corpuscle (Bowman's capsule
with glomerulus)
2.Renal tubule.
 The Nephron

comprises
• Renal corpuscle
• Proximal convoluted
Tubule
• Loop of Henle
• Distal convoluted tubule.
• Collecting duct 16
 Renal Corpuscle

Bowman Glomerulus
capsule

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RENAL CORPUSCLE
• Glomeruli surrounded by
Bowman's capsules.
• Bowman's capsule -- the cup-
shaped top of a nephron. It is
the sack-like Bowmans's
capsule that surrounds the
glomerulus.
• Glomerulus -- a network of
blood capillaries tucked into
 Bowman capsule
• Consists of a visceral
layer and a parietal
layer.
• Parietal layer is
Squamous epithelium
• The visceral layer is
composed of
Podocytes, which cover
the capillaries of a
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glomerulus.
 Glomerulus

• Knot of capillaries
• Is fed by an
afferent arteriole
• is drained by an
efferent arteriole at
the vascular pole.
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The interstitial
tissues
surrounding
the glomerular
capillaries
contain cells

These cells called intraglomerular

mesangial cells. 24
 Mesangial cells

Intraglomerular mesangial cells within the

glomerulus
The function
structural support
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 Mesangial cells

The function
• phagocytosis of debris large molecules
• Thereby preventing material from accumulating on
the filtration barrier.
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 Mesangial cells

The function
contractile capability
play role in regulating glomerular blood flow.
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 Histology Bowman's capsule
• Cells of the outer or parietal layer
of Bowman's capsule form a
simple squamous epithelium.
• Cells of the inner layer, podocytes
in the visceral layer, are extremely
complex in shape.
• Small foot-like processes,
pedicles, of their cytoplasm form
a fenestrated epithelium around
the fenestrated capillaries of the
glomerulus.
 Histology Bowman's capsule
• The openings between
the pedicles are called
filtration slits.
• They are spanned by a
thin membrane, the
filtration slit membrane.
 Histology Bowman's capsule

• Mesangial cells in
the glomerulus
form the
connective tissue
that gives
structural support
to podocytes and
vessels.
Nephron

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 Juxtaglomerular apparatus
• The juxtaglomerular apparatus is a microscopic
structure in the kidney, which regulates the function
of each nephron.

• There are three cellular components of the apparatus

which are the;
1. macula densa,
2. extraglomerular mesangial cells,
3. juxtaglomerular cells (also known as granular cells).
 RENAL TUBULE
• Proximal convoluted tubule
• the first segment of a renal tubule
• Called
• Proximal because it lies nearest the tubule's
origin from Bowman's capsule
• Convoluted because it has several bends in it.
 RENAL TUBULE

• Loop of Henle
• the extension of the proximal tubule
• observe that the loop of Henle consists of a
straight descending (directed downward) limb,
a loop, and a straight ascending limb (directed
upwards).
 Cont.
• Distal convoluted tubule -- the part
of the tubule distal to the
ascending limb of Henle. It is the
extension of the ascending limb of
Henle.
 Cont.
• Collecting tubule -- a straight (not
convoluted) part of a renal tubule; distal
tubules of several nephrons join to
form a single collecting tubule
 Histo: proximal tubule

Characterized by
• They are lined by large
acidophilic cuboidal cells
with brush borders
formed by long microvilli
• A narrow lumen
• lining cells are pyramidal
in shape
 Histo: Distal convoluted tubule
• DCT has a wide lumen
• The distal tubules are lined by
small cuboidal cells and no
brush border.
• with faintly eosinophilic or
clear cytoplasm.
 Histo: Distal convoluted tubule

The lateral boundaries between cells are not as

distinguishable as those of the collecting duct.
 loop of Henle
• U-shaped straight tube.
• Consists of descending and ascending limbs.
• It is cross from cortex to medulla.
• It is lined by simple cuboidal near cortex and
simple squamous near medulla.
• Juxtamedullary nephron: for concentrated
hypertonic urine.
• Loop of Henle and surrounding tissues
concerning with making urine hypertonic and
conserving water.
 Histo of Loop of Henle

• Henle`s loop; thin segment is lined by flat epithelium

• Thick limb resemble PCT except that cells are shorter and there is
no brush border.
 Histo of Loop of Henle

Loop of Henle and surrounding tissues concerning with

making urine hypertonic and conserving water.
 Medullary ray
• These tubules run
parallel to each other
within a medullary ray,
which separates the
glomeruli into groups.

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 Medullary ray
• Composed of proximal
straight tubules, distal
straight tubules, and
collecting ducts.

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 Juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA)

❑Lies where the

initial straight
part of DCT
comes in close
contact with the
vascular pole of
RC.
 Juxtaglomerular apparatus (JGA)
❑ Structures of JGA:
1. Macula densa: at the point where the
DCT touch the arterioles, cells of DCT
become columnar & more closely
packed, with apical nuclei.
2. Juxtaglomerular granular cells(JG):
adjacent to MD, modified smooth
muscle cells of tunica media of
arterioles, form secretory phenotype
cells with rounded nuclei.
3. Lacis cells: extra glomerular
mesangial cells, has the same
functions of glomerular mesangial
cells.
 Function of JGA

• Auto regulation of
glomerular
filtrating rate
(GFR).
• Control blood
pressure within
arterioles.
 Collecting ducts (CD)

• Formed by joining collecting tubules.

• Open at the tip of medullary pyramids.
 Collecting ducts (CD)
• The epithelium are
more columnar
cells
• With scanty
microvilli.
• These cells rest on
infolding basement
membrane.
Nephron structure characteristic
Renal corpusle Capillary ball covered by podocyte & surrounded by
simple squamous epithelial capsule, capsular space.

Proximal convulated Lined with simple cubodial epithelium & prominent brush
border
Loop of Henle Tubule that form a loop, there are thick & thin ascending
& desecnding portion; the most distal part of the loop
often extends into the medulla.
Thick limb are lined with simple squamous/ cuboidal
epithelium
Thin limb are lined with simple squamous epithelium

Distal convulated Lined with simple cuboidal with only sparse brush border;
cytoplasm of cells tend to be paler than that of proximal
convulated
 Nephron Epithelial Lining Main Functions
Simple squamous Filters blood and
Renal corpuscle
forms urine

Simple cuboidal • Reabsorbs 70%–

Proximal
epithelium with 80% Na+ and
convoluted
long microvilli Cl− and water
tubule
(brush border) • reabsorbs
glucose amino
acids
• produces
calcitriol (active
form vitamin D)

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 Nephron Epithelial Lining Main Functions

The Loop of Henle

Simple Highly permeable
Thin limb squamous to water
epithelium less permeable
to salt

Impermeable to
Simple cuboidal water (retains
Thick limb epithelium with water); highly
short microvilli permeable to salt
 Nephron Epithelial Lining Main Functions

Distal convoluted Simple cuboidal Reabsorbs Na+

tubule epithelium with short and secretes K
microvilli
Juxtaglomerular Apparatus

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Glomerulonephritis
■ Glomerulopathy: Refers to secondary
glomerular injury as a result of systemic
diseases, such as diabetes mellitus and
systemic lupus erythematosus

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