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Urinary System
Urinary System
Part I
Mrbv, md
HOMEOSTASIS
• Altering blood composition, pH, volume, pressure
• Maintaining blood osmolarity
• Excreting waste and foreign substances
• Producing hormones
Functions of the Kidney
1. Regulation of blood ionic composition
2. Regulation of blood pH
3. Regulation of blood volume
4. Regulation of blood pressure
5. Maintenance of Blood pressure
6. Maintenance of blood osmolarity
7. Production of hormones
8. Regulation of blood glucose level
9. Excretion of wastes and foreign substances
Regulation of blood ionic composition
• The kidneys help regulate several ions :
– Sodium (Na+), Potassium ( K+), Calcium ( Ca2+), Chloride (Cl-), phosphate ions
(HPO42+ )
Regulation of blood pH
• Kidneys excrete variable amounts of hydrogen ions (H +), and conserve bicarbonate
(HCO3)
• Important for the buffer of H+ in the blood
Regulation of blood volume
• By conserving or eliminating water in the urine
• Increase in blood volume, increases blood pressure
• Decrease in blood volume, decreases blood pressure
Production of hormones
• Calcitriol : active form of vitamin D. This helps maintain calcium homeostasis
• Erythropoietin: stimulates the production of red blood cells
Renal Sinus
• Cavity where the hilum expands into
• Contains part of the renal pelvis, the calyces and branches of renal blood vessel and
nerves
• Adipose tissues help stabilize the position in the renal sinus
Blood and Nerve Supply of the Kidneys
• Abundant
• 20-25% of resting cardiac output via Right and Left Renal Arteries
• In adults, Blood flow is 1200mL/minute
• Arterial Supply:
Abdominal aorta Renal artery segmental arteries
interlobar arteries arcuate arteries Interlobular arteries
afferent arterioles each nephron glomerulus
Venous Supply
• Glomerulus efferent arteriole peritubuluar capillaries vasa recta
peritubular venules interlobularar veins arcuate veins interlobar veins
inferior vena cava
Nephron
• Functional unit of kidney
• 2 parts:
– Renal Corpuscle : where plasma is filtered
– Glomerulus
– Bowman’s Capsule
– Renal Tubule : where the filtered fluid passes
– Proximal convoluted tubule
– Loop of Henle
– Distal convoluted tubule
Glomerular Capsule
• “Bowman’s Capsule”
• Visceral layer: simple squamous epithelial cells (PODOCYTES)
• Parietal Layer: simple squamous epithelium
2. The basal lamina, a layer of acellular material between the endothelium and
the podocytes, consists of minute collagen fibers and proteoglycans in a
glycoprotein matrix; it prevents filtration of larger plasma proteins.
• Thus, a pressure of only 10 mmHg causes a normal amount of blood plasma (minus
plasma proteins) to filter from the glomerulus into the capsular space.
Glomerular Filtration Rate
• GFR = 125mL/min in males and 105mL/min in females
• Homeostasis of body requires constant GFR
• GFR is directly related to the pressures that determine net filtration pressure
• GFR is nearly constant when the mean arterial blood pressure is anywhere between
80 and 180 mmHg
3 mechanisms that control GFR
1. renal autoregulation
2. neural regulation
3. hormonal regulation.
GFR is directly related to the pressures that determine
net filtration pressure; any change in net filtration pressure
will affect GFR. Severe blood loss, for example, reduces
mean arterial blood pressure and decreases the glomerular
blood hydrostatic pressure.