Urinary System

Because learning changes everything.
Chapter 18
Urinary System and Fluid
Balance
Lecture Outline
Seeley’s ESSENTIALS OF
ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY
Eleventh Edition
Cinnamon VanPutte
Jennifer Regan
Andrew Russo
Copyright 2022 © McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.
Urinary System 1
• The urinary system is the major excretory system of the

body.
• Some organs in other systems also eliminate wastes, but

they are not able to compensate in the case of kidney
failure.
Copyright 2022 © McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC. 2
Urinary System 2
Figure 18.1
Urinary System Functions
1. Excretion
2. Regulation of blood volume and pressure
3. Regulation of blood solute concentration
4. Regulation of extracellular fluid pH
5. Regulation of red blood cell synthesis
6. Regulation of Vitamin D synthesis
Components of the Urinary System
• Two kidneys
• Two ureters
• One urinary bladder
• One urethra
Urinary System
Figure 18.2a
Access the text alternative for slide images.
Kidney Characteristics
Bilateral retroperitoneal organs
Shape and size:
• bean shaped
• weigh 5 ounces (bar of soap or size of fist)
Location:
• between 12th thoracic and 3rd lumbar vertebra
Kidney Structures 1
Renal capsule:
• connective tissue around each kidney
• protects and acts as a barrier
Hilum:
• indentation
• contains renal artery, veins, nerves, ureter
Kidney Structures 2
Renal sinus:
• contains renal pelvis, blood vessels, fat
Renal cortex:
• outer portion
Renal medulla:
• inner portion
Kidney Structures 3
Renal pyramid:
• Cone shaped structures in the medulla whose bases

project into the cortex
Renal papillae:
• tip of pyramids which drain into calyces
Renal pelvis:
• where calyces join together
• narrows to form ureter
Longitudinal Section of the Kidney
(b) Rebecca Gray/McGraw-Hill Education

Figure 18.3
Nephron
• The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney.
• Each kidney has over one million nephrons.
• Approximately 15% are juxtamedullary
• The nephron includes the renal corpuscle, proximal

convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, distal convoluted tubule
and collecting duct
The Nephron
Figure 18.5
Types of Nephrons 1
1. Juxtamedullary nephrons
• renal corpuscles are deep in the cortex near the medulla
• long loops of Henle extend deep into the medulla
• Well adapted for water conservation.
• About 15% of nephrons
Types of Nephrons 2
2. Cortical nephrons
• Renal corpuscles distributed throughout the cortex
• Loops of Henle are shorter and closer to the outer edge of

the cortex than juxtamedullary nephrons
Renal Corpuscle 1
The filtration portion of the nephron
Glomerulus:
• A network of capillaries twisted around each other like a

ball of yarn
Bowman’s capsule:
• enlarged end of nephron surrounds glomerulus
• opens into proximal convoluted tubule
• contains podocytes (specialized cells around glomerular

capillaries)
Renal Corpuscle 2
• Bowman capsule consists of two layers:
• Outer layer - simple squamous epithelial cells that

become cube-shaped at the beginning of the proximal
convoluted tubule
• Inner layer - cells called podocytes, which wrap around

the glomerular capillaries
Characteristics of Renal Corpuscle 1
• Porous capillaries - highly permeable due to the

presence of pores. Neither large proteins nor blood cells
can fit through them.
• Porous inner layer of Bowman capsule - A basement

membrane lies between the endothelial cells of the
glomerular capillaries and the podocytes of the Bowman
capsule.
Characteristics of Renal Corpuscle 2
• High pressure
• An afferent arteriole supplies blood to the glomerulus for

filtration.
• An efferent arteriole transports the filtered blood away

from the glomerulus.
• Efferent arteriole has smaller diameter than afferent

arteriole creating a high pressure in the capillaries.
Filtration Membrane
• The structures in the corpuscle make up the filtration

membrane.
• Consists of capillary endothelium, the basement

membrane, and the podocytes of the Bowman capsule
• Filtrate is the fluid filtered from the glomerular capillaries.

Enters the lumen inside the Bowman capsule.
Juxtaglomerular Apparatus 1
• Juxtaglomerular apparatus – specialized cells of the

afferent arteriole and distal convoluted tubule in close
contact with each other.
• Juxtaglomerular cells – specialized smooth muscle cells

located where the afferent arteriole enters the renal
corpuscle
• Macula densa - part of the distal convoluted tubule that

lies between the afferent and efferent arterioles next to the
renal corpuscle.
Juxtaglomerular Apparatus 2
• The juxtaglomerular apparatus is an important regulatory

structure.
• Secretion of the enzyme renin by the juxtaglomerular

apparatus plays an important role in the regulation of
filtrate formation and blood pressure.
Renal Corpuscle and Filtration Membrane
Figure 18.6
Nephron Components 1
Proximal convoluted tubule:
• where filtrate passes first
• drains filtrate from Bowman capsule
Loop of Henle:
• contains descending and ascending loops
• water and solutes pass through thin walls by diffusion
Nephron Components 2
Distal convoluted tubule:
• structure between Loop of Henle and collecting duct
Collecting duct:
• empties into calyces
• carry fluid from cortex through medulla
Flow of Filtrate through Nephron
1. Renal corpuscle
2. Proximal convoluted tubule
3. Descending loop of Henle
4. Ascending loop of Henle
5. Distal convoluted tubule
6. Collecting duct
7. Papillary duct
Blood Flow through Kidney
1. Renal artery
2. Interlobar artery
3. Arcuate artery
4. Interlobular artery
5. Afferent arteriole
6. Glomerulus
7. Efferent arteriole
8. Peritubular capillaries
9. Vasa recta
10. Interlobular vein
11. Arcuate vein
12. Interlobar vein
Blood Flow Through the Kidney
Figure 18.7
Urine Formation 1
Urine formation involves three processes:
• Filtration – occurs in the renal corpuscle, blood plasma

leave glomerulus and enters Bowman space
• Tubular Reabsorption – involves removing substances

from the filtrate and placing them back into the blood
• Secretion – involves taking substances from the blood at

a nephron area other than the renal corpuscle and putting
back into the nephron tubule
Urine Formation 2
Figure 18.8
Urine Formation-Filtration 1
• Movement of water, ions, small molecules through filtration

membrane into Bowman’s capsule
• 19% of plasma becomes filtrate
• 180 Liters of filtrate are produced by the nephrons each

day
• 1% of filtrate (1.8 liters) become urine, the rest is

reabsorbed
Urine Formation-Filtration 2
• Only small molecules are able to pass through filtration

membrane
• Formation of filtrate depends on filtration pressure
• Filtration pressure forces fluid across filtration membrane
• Filtration pressure is influenced by blood and interstitial

fluid pressures, and osmotic pressures of plasma and
interstitial fluid.
Filtration Pressure
Figure 18.9
Urine Production-Reabsorption
• 99% of filtrate is reabsorbed and reenters circulation
• The proximal convoluted tubule is the primary site for

reabsorption of solutes and water
• The descending Loop of Henle concentrates filtrate
• Reabsorption of water and solutes from distal convoluted

tubule and collecting duct is controlled by hormones
Reabsorption in the Proximal Convoluted Tubule
Figure 18.10
Reabsorption in the Loop of Henle
Figure 18.11
Reabsorption in the Thick Segment of the Ascending
Limb
Figure 18.12
Urine Production—Secretion 1
• Tubular secretion removes some substances from the

blood.
• These substances include by-products of metabolism that

become toxic in high concentrations and drugs or other
molecules not normally produced by the body.
• Tubular secretion occurs through either active or passive

mechanisms.
Urine Production—Secretion 2
• Ammonia secretion is passive.
• Secretion of H+, K+, creatinine, histamine, and penicillin is

by active transport.
• These substances are actively transported into the

nephron.
• The secretion of H+ plays an important role in regulating

the body fluid pH.
Urine Concentration Mechanism 1
• The kidneys regulate blood composition and are able to

produce very dilute or very concentrated urine to maintain
the extracellular fluid concentration close to 300 mOsm/L.
• The ability to control the volume and concentration of the

urine depends on: (1) countercurrent mechanisms, (2) a
medullary concentration gradient, and (3) hormonal
mechanisms.
• Countercurrent mechanism - fluids in separate

structures flow in opposite directions relative to each other.
As they pass by each other, materials can be exchanged
between them.
• The countercurrent mechanism creates a very high solute

concentration in the medulla compared to the cortex.
Called the medullary concentration gradient.
• The medullary concentration gradient develops from (1)

the actions of the countercurrent mechanisms and (2) the
recycling of urea.
• The concentration of solutes in the medulla increases from

300 mOsm/L to 1200 mOsm/L deep in the medulla at the
tip of the renal pyramid.
• The descending limb of the loop of Henle is a critical site

for water reabsorption.
• The filtrate leaving the proximal convoluted tubule is

further concentrated as it passes through the descending
limb of the loop of Henle.
• The mechanism for this water reabsorption is osmosis.
• The wall of the thin segment of the descending limb is

highly permeable to water.
• As the filtrate moves through the medulla containing the

highly concentrated interstitial fluid, water is reabsorbed
out of the nephron by osmosis.
• The water enters the vasa recta which removes excess

water and solutes from the medulla without changing the
high concentration of solutes in the medullary interstitial
fluid.
• The ascending limb of the loop of Henle dilutes the filtrate

by removing solutes
• The thin segment of the ascending limb is not permeable

to water, but it is permeable to solutes so solutes diffuse
out of the nephron.
• The permeability of the distal convoluted tubule and

collecting duct vary depending upon hormonal control.
Concentrated urine is produced when the permeability
increases and water leaves filtrate by osmosis.
Urine-Concentrating Mechanism
Figure 18.13
Regulation of Urine Concentration and Volume
Three major hormonal mechanisms are involved in

regulating urine concentration and volume:
1. renin-angiotensin-aldosterone
2. the antidiuretic hormone (ADH)
3. the atrial natriuretic hormone
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Mechanism 1
1. The juxtaglomerular apparatus of the kidneys release the

enzyme renin when blood pressure is low
2. Renin enters the blood and converts angiotensinogen to

produce angiotensin I
3. Angiotensin-converting enzyme converts angiotensin I to

angiotensin II
4. Angiotensin II causes vasoconstriction and raises blood

pressure
Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone Mechanism 2
4. Angiotensin II also acts on adrenal cortex to release

aldosterone
5. Aldosterone increases rate of active transport of Na+ in

distal convoluted tubules and collecting duct
6. Volume of water in urine decreases and blood pressure

increases
Aldosterone Actions
Figure 18.14
Antidiuretic Hormone Mechanism
1. ADH is secreted by the posterior pituitary gland when the

solute concentration of the blood or interstitial fluid
increases
2. ADH acts of kidneys, causing them to absorb more water

(decrease urine volume)
3. Result is to maintain a normal blood volume and blood

pressure
ADH and the Regulation of Extracellular Fluid
Figure 18.15a
Atrial Natriuretic Hormone 1
1. ANH is secreted from cardiac muscle in the right atrium of

the heart when blood pressure increases
2. ANH acts on kidneys to decrease Na+ reabsorption
3. Sodium ions remain in nephron and enter urine
4. Increased loss of sodium and water reduce blood volume

and blood pressure
Atrial Natriuretic Hormone 2
Figure 18.16
Homeostatic Control of Blood and Urine Volumes
Figure 18.17
Ureters and Urinary Bladder 1
Ureters:
• small tubes that carry urine from renal pelvis of kidney to

bladder
Urinary bladder:
• in pelvic cavity
• stores urine
• can hold a few ml to a maximum of 1000 milliliters
Ureters and Urinary Bladder 2
©Victor Eroschenko
Figure 18.18
Urethra 1
Urethra:
• tube that exits bladder
• carries urine from urinary bladder to outside of body
Internal urethral sphincter
• smooth muscle surrounds urethra at the junction of the

urinary bladder and prevents urine from leaving the
bladder
Urethra 2
External urethral sphincter:
• formed of skeletal muscle surrounding the urethra near the

pelvic floor.
• allows a person to voluntarily start or stop the flow of urine

out of the urethra
Urine Movement
Micturition reflex:
• activated by stretch of urinary bladder wall
• action potentials are conducted from bladder to spinal cord

through pelvic nerves
• parasympathetic action potentials cause bladder to

contract
• stretching of bladder stimulates sensory neurons to inform

brain person needs to urinate
Micturition Reflex
Figure 18.19
Body Fluid Compartments
• The intracellular fluid compartment includes the fluid

(cytosol) inside all the cells of the body.
• Approximately two-thirds of all the water in the body is in

the intracellular fluid compartment.
• The extracellular fluid compartment includes all the fluid

outside the cells.
• The extracellular fluid compartment includes, interstitial

fluid, plasma, lymph, and other special fluids, such as joint
fluid, and cerebrospinal fluid.
Composition of Fluids
• Intracellular fluid contains a relatively high concentration of

ions, such as K+, magnesium (Mg2+), phosphate (PO43−),
and sulfate (SO42−), compared to the extracellular fluid.
• It has a lower concentration of Na+, Ca2+, Cl−, and HCO3−

than does the extracellular fluid.
Exchange Between Fluid Compartments
• The cell membranes that separate the body fluid

compartments are selectively permeable.
• Water continually passes through them, but ions dissolved

in the water do not.
• Water movement is regulated mainly by hydrostatic

pressure differences and osmotic differences between the
compartments.
• Osmosis controls the movement of water between the

intracellular and extracellular spaces.
Regulation of Extracellular Fluid Composition
• Thirst Regulation
• Ion Concentration Regulation
Thirst Regulation
• Water intake is controlled by the thirst center located in

the hypothalamus
• When the concentration of ions in the blood increases, it

stimulates the thirst center to cause thirst
• When water is consumed, the concentrations of blood ions

decreases, due to a dilution effect; this causes the
sensation of thirst to decrease
Thirst Regulation of Extracellular Fluid Concentration
Figure 18.21
Ion Concentration Regulation 1
• Regulating the concentrations of positively charged ions,

such as Na+, K+, and Ca2+, in the body fluids is particularly
important.
• Action potentials, muscle contraction, and normal cell

membrane permeability depend on the maintenance of a
narrow range of these concentrations.
Ion Concentration Regulation 2
• Negatively charged ions, such as Cl−, are secondarily

regulated by the mechanisms that control the positively
charged ions.
• The negatively charged ions are attracted to the positively

charged ions; when the positively charged ions are
transported, the negatively charged ions move with them.
Sodium Ions
• Sodium ions (Na+) are the dominant ions in the

extracellular fluid.
• About 90 to 95% of the osmotic pressure of the

extracellular fluid results from sodium ions and from the
negative ions associated with them.
• Stimuli that control aldosterone secretion influence the

reabsorption of Na+ from nephrons of the kidneys and the
total amount of Na+ in the body fluids.
• Sodium ions are also excreted in sweat.
Potassium Ions
• Electrically excitable tissues, such as muscles and nerves,

are highly sensitive to slight changes in the extracellular
K+ concentration.
• The extracellular concentration of K+ must be maintained

within a narrow range for these tissues to function
normally.
• Aldosterone plays a major role in regulating the

concentration of K+ in the extracellular fluid.
Calcium Ions
• The extracellular concentration of Ca2+ is maintained

within a narrow range.
• Increases and decreases in the extracellular concentration

of Ca2+ have dramatic effects on the electrical properties
of excitable tissues
• Parathyroid hormone (PTH), secreted by the parathyroid

glands, increases extracellular Ca2+ concentrations.
• Calcitonin reduces the blood Ca2+ concentration when it

is too high.
Phosphate and Sulfate Ions
• Some ions, such as phosphate ions (PO43−) and sulfate

ions (SO42−), are reabsorbed by active transport in the
kidneys.
• The rate of reabsorption is slow, so that if the

concentration of these ions in the filtrate exceeds the
nephron’s ability to reabsorb them, the excess is excreted
into the urine.
• As long as the concentration of these ions is low, nearly all

of them are reabsorbed by active transport.
Regulation of Acid-Base Balance 1
Buffers
• Chemicals that resist change in the pH of a solution
• buffers in body contain salts of weak acids or bases that

combine with H+
• three classes of buffers: proteins, phosphate buffer,

bicarbonate buffer
Respiratory system involvement in acid-base regulation:
• responds rapidly to changes in pH
• increased respiratory rate raises blood pH (more alkali)

due to increased rate of carbon dioxide elimination from
the body
• reduced respiratory rate reduces pH (more acidic) due to

decreased rate of carbon dioxide elimination from the
body
Kidney Involvement in acid-base:
• nephrons secrete H+ into urine and directly regulate pH of

body fluids
• more H+ secretion if the pH is decreasing and less H+

secretion if pH is increasing
Figure 18.22
Acidosis and Alkalosis 1
• Acidosis occurs when the pH of blood falls below 7.35
• Respiratory Acidosis - respiratory system is unable to

eliminate adequate amounts of CO2 from the blood.
• Metabolic acidosis - excess production of acidic

substances (lactic acid and ketone bodies) due to
increased metabolism or decreased ability of the kidneys
to eliminate H+ in the urine.
Acidosis and Alkalosis 2
• Alkalosis occurs when the pH of blood increases above

7.45
• Respiratory alkalosis results from hyperventilation

resulting in low CO2 concentration in blood.
• Metabolic alkalosis results from the rapid elimination of

H+ from the body resulting from severe vomiting or when
excess aldosterone is secreted by the adrenal cortex.
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Copyright 2022 © McGraw Hill LLC. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill LLC.

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Because learning changes everything.

• The urinary system is the major excretory system of the

• Some organs in other systems also eliminate wastes, but

2. Regulation of blood volume and pressure

3. Regulation of blood solute concentration

4. Regulation of extracellular fluid pH

5. Regulation of red blood cell synthesis

6. Regulation of Vitamin D synthesis

• One urinary bladder

Bilateral retroperitoneal organs

Shape and size:

• weigh 5 ounces (bar of soap or size of fist)

• between 12th thoracic and 3rd lumbar vertebra

• connective tissue around each kidney

• protects and acts as a barrier

• contains renal artery, veins, nerves, ureter

• contains renal pelvis, blood vessels, fat

• Cone shaped structures in the medulla whose bases

• tip of pyramids which drain into calyces

• where calyces join together

• narrows to form ureter

(b) Rebecca Gray/McGraw-Hill Education

Access the text alternative for slide images.

• The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney.

• Each kidney has over one million nephrons.

• Approximately 15% are juxtamedullary

• The nephron includes the renal corpuscle, proximal

• renal corpuscles are deep in the cortex near the medulla

• long loops of Henle extend deep into the medulla

• Well adapted for water conservation.

• About 15% of nephrons

• Renal corpuscles distributed throughout the cortex

• Loops of Henle are shorter and closer to the outer edge of

The filtration portion of the nephron

• A network of capillaries twisted around each other like a

• enlarged end of nephron surrounds glomerulus

• opens into proximal convoluted tubule

• contains podocytes (specialized cells around glomerular

• Bowman capsule consists of two layers:

• Outer layer - simple squamous epithelial cells that

• Inner layer - cells called podocytes, which wrap around

• Porous capillaries - highly permeable due to the

• Porous inner layer of Bowman capsule - A basement

• An afferent arteriole supplies blood to the glomerulus for

• An efferent arteriole transports the filtered blood away

• Efferent arteriole has smaller diameter than afferent

• The structures in the corpuscle make up the filtration

• Consists of capillary endothelium, the basement

• Filtrate is the fluid filtered from the glomerular capillaries.

• Juxtaglomerular apparatus – specialized cells of the

• Juxtaglomerular cells – specialized smooth muscle cells

• Macula densa - part of the distal convoluted tubule that

• The juxtaglomerular apparatus is an important regulatory

• Secretion of the enzyme renin by the juxtaglomerular

Proximal convoluted tubule:

• where filtrate passes first

• drains filtrate from Bowman capsule

• contains descending and ascending loops

• water and solutes pass through thin walls by diffusion

Distal convoluted tubule:

• structure between Loop of Henle and collecting duct

• empties into calyces

• carry fluid from cortex through medulla

2. Proximal convoluted tubule