URINARY SYSTEM

Department of Histology
 Function of the Urinary System

• Eliminate metabolic wastes

• Maintain fluid and electrolyte balance
• Acid-base balance
• Regulation of blood pressure
• Excretion of many bioactive subtances
 OUTLINE
1.Kidneys
2.Ureters
3.Bladder
4.Urethra
KIDNEYS
 KIDNEYS
• Concave side is hilum
→ureter, vessels, lymph
pierce the kidney
• Renal pyramids
• Renal papilla
→ducts of bellini (area
cribrosa)
• Minor & Major Calyx
• Renal Pelvis
• Cortical columns
Kidney….
• Capsule
• Cortex
– Renal corpuscle
– Convulated tubules
– Medullary rays
• Medulla
– Renal pyramids
– Cortical columns
• Lobe and lobule
ank
Efferent glomerular arteriole
• cortical nephron form a
system of capillaries
(peritubular capillary
network) → endothelial
cell produce
erythropoetin
• Juxtamedullary nephron
form vasa recta
(arteriole and venae
recta)
Nephron
 Functional Unit
• Nephron
– Around 1 million @ kidney
– Renal corpuscle
• Glomerulus
• Bowman’s capsule
– Tubular portion
• Proximal tubule
• Henle’s loop
• Distal tubule

• Collecting tubules →
collecting ducts
Renal corpuscle
 Renal Corpuscle
• Glomerulus & bowman’s capsule
• Parietal layer (squamous epithelial)
• Visceral layer (podocytes)
• Bowman’s space
• Afferent arteriole
• Efferent arteriole
• Vascular pole
• Urinary pole
 Glomerulus
• Fenestrated capillaries
• Connective tissue ~
Mesangial cells
– Extraglomerular
– Intraglomerular
• Function of mesangial cell
:
– Phagocytic
– Contractile
– Physical support
– Secretion several cytokine,
prostaglandin
Filtration Barrier
Three part
of Glomerular
Filter:
1. Fenestrated
capillary
2. Glomerular
basement
membrane
3. Filtration
slit
Tubular portion
Proximal Tubule
• 2 regions
– Proximal convulated
tubule
– Pars recta = descending
thick limb of henle’s loop
• Simple cuboidal epithelium
→ Microvilli >>, lateral
processes >>
• Resorption
macromolecules and some
ions from glomerular
filtrate
 Thin Limbs of Henle’s Loop
• 3 regions
• Descending thin limb >
permeable to water than
ascending thin limb
• Squamous epithelial cells
• Stubby microvilli
• Cell processes
Distal Tubule
• 3 regions
• Shorter than proximal
tubule
• Low cuboidal epithelial
cells
• Lumen larger than
proximal tubule
• Short microvilli
• Cell processes
• Macula densa
Collecting tubule
Collecting Tubule
• Simple cuboidal
epithelium
• 3 regions
– Cortical
– Medullary
– Papillary
• Convey & modify
ultrafiltrate from
nephron to minor
calyces
Collecting Tubule…
2 types of cuboidal cells :
• Intercalated Cells→
– secrete H + & HCO3-

• Principal cells →
Aquaporin → ADH
 Juxtaglomerular Apparatus
• 3 components :
– Macula densa → dilatation of
the afferent arterioles

– Juxtaglomerular cell (JG)

– Extraglomerular mesangial cell.
• JG cell :
– Modified smooth muscle cell
– Renin → Angiotensin I
 Renal Interstitium
• Loose connective tissue between uriniferous
tubule and blood and lymph vessels
• Cortex << medulla
• Only 7% of the cortical volume
• 30% of the medullary volume
• Three types of cells : macrophages, fibroblast
and interstitial cells → produce medullipin I
(vasodilator), erythropoietin (in cortical area
near proximal tubule)
EXCRETORY
PASSAGES
Calyces
Minor calyces

Major calyces

Pelvis renalis

Ureter
 URETER
• Mucosa
– Transitional epithelium
– Lamina propria
• Muscular coat
– Proximal 2/3
– Lower third
• Fibrous/adventitia
Ureter…
 URINARY BLADDER
• Mucosa
– Transtitional epithelial cell
(barrier)
– Lamina propria -- no gland
except in urethral orifice
• Muscular coat
– Long-sirc-long
(internal sphincter muscle)
• Adventitia
Urinary Bladder (Vesica Urinaria)….
 Female URETHRA
• Mucosa
– Transtitional epithelial cell and stratified
squamous non keratinized epithelium
– Lamina propria
• Glands of littre
• Muscular coat
– Long-sirc
– External sphincter muscle
• Adventitia
 Male URETHRA
• 3 regions
– Prostatic
– Membranous
– Spongy

• Lamina propria
– Glands of Littre
• Urethra female shorter than male
• Urethra male has a dual function
 Summary
• Kidney : cortex & medulla
• Nephrons : renal corpuscle, tubular portion,
and collecting tubule.
• Filtration barrier
• Juxtaglomerular apparatus
• Excretory passage:
– Mukosa (Transtitional epithelium & lamina
propria)
– Muscular coat
– Adventitia
Male Genital System
TESTIS
Testis (Seminiferous Tubule & Connective Tissue)
Epididymidis
Prostat Glands
Prostat Glands
• Tubuloacinar glands (lined
by a simple or
pseudostratified columnar
epithelium) embedded in a
dense fibromuscular stroma
• The prostatic secretion
constitutes a part of semen.
• It is a serous, rich in
glycoprotein, enzymes, acid
phosphatase, fibrinolysin,
and citric acid.
• Important product of
prostate is PSA (prostat
specific antigen)
Penis
Penis

= Corpus spongiosum
Summary
 Reference
• Mescher, A.L. 2013. 13th ed. Junqueira’s Basic
Histology. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Gartner L.P. and Hiatt J.L. Color Textbook of
Histology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia.