URINARY

SYSTEM
Objectives and Learning
Outcomes
At the end of this discussion, the students will be able to:

 Name the parts of the Urinary System and discuss the function of each
part.

 Describe the organization of the nephron and discuss the function of

each part.

 Describe the blood flow in the kidney.

Overview of the Urinary
System
Elimination of waste products
 Metabolic wastes
 Substances in excess
 Toxic Foreign Materials
Regulate aspects of homeostasis
 Water Balance
 Electrolytes
 Acid-Base balance in the blood
 Blood Pressure
 Red Blood cell production
 Activation of Vitamin D
 KIDNEYS
Kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs.
Filters about 1700 liters of blood daily in the average adult.
 Functions of the
Kidneys:
 Excretion of urine
 Regulation
 Secretion of Hormones
- renin (regulation of blood pressure)
- erythropoietin (stimulates the production of RBCs)
- Vitamin D (regulation of calcium levels)
 Reabsorption
 Ureters
• Two narrow tubes approximately 6 to 7 inches long
attached to each kidney
• Made up of three layers of tissue
-smooth muscle
-fibrous tissue
-mucous layer
• Peristalsis, a rhythmic contraction of the ureter smooth
muscle which helps to move the urine into the bladder.
Urinary Bladder
 Hollow, muscular organ that
stores urine
 Holds 300 to 400 milliliters
of urine before emptying
 Walls contain epithelial
tissue that stretch to allow
the bladder to hold twice its
capacity
Urethra
A tube of smooth muscle with a mucous lining that carries urine from the bladder to the
outside of the body.
• Excreting urine is called voiding or micturition
 NEPHRONS
RENAL TUBULE
Function of the
Nephron

 It is responsible mainly for the

production of urine- in order to get
rid of waste substances.
Three division of
Renal Tubule
■ Proximal convoluted tubule

■ Loop of Henle

■ Distal convoluted tubule

Proximal convoluted tubule

Site for maximal resorption of the nephron

Maintains the electrolyte and acid-base balance of the body fluids.

Loop of Henle (Nephron Loop)

Site for Reabsorption of water and sodium chloride from the

filtrate.

Distal convoluted tubule

Site for reabsorption of sodium ions and water

Maintains the pH and sodium-potassium level in the blood cells

 NEPHRONS
RENAL CORPUSCLE
 What are the Renal
Corpuscle?
The renal corpuscle consists of a glomerulus surrounded by a
Bowman’s capsule. The glomerulus arises from an afferent arteriole and
empties into an efferent arteriole.

The Bowman’s capsule is divided into three layers:

 Outer Parietal layer: It is made up of epithelial cells with a minute
pores of a diameter of 12nm.
 Middle Basement membrane: This layer is selectively permeable.
 Inner Visceral Layer: It consists of large nucleated cells called
podocytes which bear finger-like projections called podocel.
 Types of Nephron

 Cortical nephron
These are the nephrons present within the cortex. These
are short and comprise about 80% of the total nephrons.

 Juxtamedullary nephron
These have long loops of Henle and extend into the
medulla. These are about 20% of total nephrons.
 The primary function of nephron is removing all
waste products including the solid wastes, and other
excess water from the blood, converting blood into
Function of
the urine, reabsorption, secretion, and excretion of the Nephron
numerous substances.

 It regulates the concentration of water and minerals

such as sodium by filtering the blood and reabsorbing
the important nutrients.