Anatomy of Urinary

System

For HI students

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The kidneys and its associated structures are all part of
the excretory system along with the skin, lungs and the
intestines which contribute to elimination of wastes
from the body.

The urinary system is also called the excretory system

of the body.
 Because one of its functions is to remove waste products from
the blood.
 URINARY
SYSTEM

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The urinary system consists of:
Two kidneys:
extracts wastes from the blood, balance body fluids and form
urine.
Two ureters:
the tube conducts urine from the kidneys to the urinary
bladder.
The urinary bladder:
 reservoir receives and stores the urine.
The urethra:
the tube conducts urine from the bladder to the out side of the
body for elimination.
 The kidneys
•The kidneys are pair of
excretory organs situated
between peritoneum
– Retroperitoneal organs.

– Reddish, bean shaped

– The kidneys extend

from the level of the
T12 to L3

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 Hilus* is cleft: vessels, ureters and nerves enter and leave the
kidney.
 Adrenal glands: lie superior to each kidney

*
*

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The Position of the Kidneys

 The kidneys are retroperitoneal, or behind the peritoneum

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The right kidney is
slightly lower than the left

 The adult kidney weights

about 150 gm in males
and 135gm in females.

 Dimensions are 12 cm
long, 6 cm wide, 3 cm
thick

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 Structures such as
the ureters, the
renal blood vessels,
lymphatics, and
nerves enter the
kidney at the hilus

 These structures
occupy the renal
sinus

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 • Each kidney has
– Two poles –
• Upper & lower poles
– Two borders –
• Medial & lateral borders.
– Two surfaces –
• Anterior & posterior surfaces.
• The suprarenal glands rests
on the upper poles.
• The medial border is concave
& there is a vertical slit in the
middle is called the hilum.
• The lateral border is convex.
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 Supportive tissue
 Kidneys are supported by three layers of supportive tissue
 The renal capsule
 The deeper layer, supports and protects the kidney
 adheres directly to the kidney surface
 maintain the shape of the kidney
 The adipose capsule
 The middle layer, is a mass of fatty tissue surrounding the renal capsule
 Holds it firmly in place with in abdominal cavity and cushions it against
trauma
 The renal fascia
 The superficial , thin layer
 dense fibrous connective tissue which anchors kidney to the surrounding
structures and to the abdominal wall

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 Internal anatomy of kidney
 A frontal section through the kidney reveals two distinct regions
internally
 A superficial, light red area called the renal cortex and
 A deep, darker reddish-brown region called the renal medulla
 The renal cortex
 Is the smooth-textured area extending from the renal capsule to the bases
of the renal pyramids
 The portions of the renal cortex that extend between renal pyramids are
called renal columns
 Renal medulla -darker tissue which exhibits cone shaped tissue
masses called medullary or renal pyramids (has base and apex)

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 Blood Supply
 The kidney continuously cleanse the blood and adjust
its composition

 Kidneys possess an extensive blood supply

 Under normal resting conditions, the renal arteries

deliver approximately one-fourth of the total systemic
cardiac output (1200 ml) to the kidneys each minute

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 Blood Supply
 The renal arteries arise
at right angles from the
abdominal aorta

 Each renal artery

divides into five
segmental arteries that
enter the hilum

 Each segmental artery

divides into lobar and
interlobuar arteries

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 Blood Circulation in kideny

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 Vasculature of the kidney

 The glomerular capillary bed is unusual in having arterioles

going both to it and away from it (afferent and efferent),
instead of a vein going away as most
 Clinical correlation
kidney transplant
Is the transfer of a kidney from a donor to a
recipient whose kidneys no longer function

In the procedure, the donor kidney is placed in

the pelvis of the recipient through an abdominal
incision

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 KIDNEY ANATOMY: NEPHRONS
 The Nephrons functional unit of the kidneys
~1.2 million per kidney
 Each nephron consists of two parts:
1. a renal corpuscle, where blood plasma is filtered, and
2. a renal tubule into which the filtered fluid passes
3. Blood vessels

 The renal corpuscle consist glomerulus (capillary

network) and glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule, a double-
walled epithelial cup that surrounds the glomerular
capillaries.

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 1. The Renal Corpuscle
 The first part of the nephron where the filtration occur and
spherical in shape is called renal corpuscle

 Consist of a tuft of capillaries called a glomerulus surrounded by

a cup shaped, hollow glomerular capsule (Bowman’s capsule)

 The glomerulus lies in the glomerular capsule like an under

inflated balloon

 This tuft of capillaries is supplied by an afferent arteriole and

drained by an efferent arteriole

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 The glomerulus is the site of
primary urine formation where
blood plasma is filtered into the
nephron.

 The glomerular capillaries are

enveloped by the blind-ended upper
part of the nephron, known as
Bowman’s capsule.

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 Filtrate flows from Bowman’s space
into the proximal tubule, which
consists of convoluted and straight
portions.

 The proximal tubule is continuous with

the loop of Henle, which is a U-
shaped tubule that descends variable
distances into the medulla before
turning back toward the cortex.

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  The loop of Henle has three
functionally distinct parts: the thin
descending limb, the thin ascending
limb, and the thick ascending limb.

 The macula densa is a short

segment that passes close to the
glomerulus and connects the thick
ascending limb to the distal tubule
in the cortex.

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 Distal tubules from approximately six
nephrons converge with a single
collecting duct.

 As the collecting ducts descend

through the renal medulla, toward the
papilla, they converge into the renal
calyces.

 Urine proceeds to the renal pelvis and

then to the lower urinary tract.

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Basic processes of urine formation
a. Glomerular filtration
b. Tubular reabsorption
c. Tubular secretion

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the three major processes in the kidney
Glomerular Filtration
 Is the first step in the urine formation.
 Definition: the process of ultrafiltration (filtration under
high pressure) of plasma in the glomerular capillaries into
the Bowman’s capsule.
 In the average adult human GFR is about 125 ml/min or
180 L/day.
 2. The Renal Tubule

Leads from glomerular capsule

Ends at tip of medullary pyramid
~3 cm long
Four major regions
Proximal convoluted tubule
Nephron loop
Distal convoluted tubule
Collecting duct
 Each kidney contains many tiny tubules.
 Each of the tubules receives a blood filtrate from a capillary bed
called the glomerulus.
Empty into a cavity drained to the ureter.

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  The renal corpuscle and both convoluted tubules lie within
the renal cortex; the loop of Henle extends into the renal
medulla

 The distal convoluted tubules of several nephrons empty

into a single collecting duct.

 The Collecting ducts then unite and converge into

papillary ducts which drain into the minor calyces.

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 In a nephron, the loop of Henle connects the proximal
and distal convoluted tubules.

The first part of the loop of Henle dips into the renal
medulla, where it is called the descending limb of the
loop of Henle

It then returns to the renal cortex as the ascending

limb of the loop of Henle.

 About 80–85% of the nephrons are cortical nephrons

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 proximal
The Nephron glomerulus
convoluted tubule
efferent arteriole
blood

distal
convoluted
tubule
blood

afferent arteriole

Loop of Henle
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 Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
Arises from glomerular capsule
Longest, most coiled region
Prominent microvilli.
 Function in absorption
Much contact with peritubular capillaries
Nephron loop (“Loop of Henle”)
“U” – shaped, distal to PCT
Consists descending and ascending limbs
Thick segments
 Active transport of salts
 High metabolism, many mitochondria
Thin segments
 Permeable to water
 Low metabolism

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 Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
Coiled, distal to nephron loop
Shorter and less coiled than PCT
Very few microvilli
Contacts afferent and efferent arterioles
Less contact with peritubular capillaries

Collecting duct
DCTs empties into a collecting duct
Passes into medulla
Several merge into papillary duct (~30 per papilla)
Drain into minor calyx

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 SUPERA RENAL GLANDS

• Are pair of endocrine glands situated on the posterior

abdominal wall over the upper pole of the kidneys
• Yellowish in color.
• They lie behind the peritoneum, retroperitoneal organs
• They are made up of 2 parts
1. The outer cortex - mesodermal origin secrete number of
steroid hormones
2. The inner medulla - neural crestal origin secrete
adrenaline & noradrenaline.
 separated from kidney by renal fascia.

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 SUPERA RENAL GLANDS

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 Right supra renal gland
 It is triangular (pyramidal) in
shape
 It is little smaller
It has
1) Two ends ( upper &
lower )
2) Two surfaces (anterior &
posterior surfaces )
3) Three borders ( anterior,
medial and lateral )
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Left supra renal gland
• It is semilunar in shape
• It has
– 1) Two ends ( upper &
lower )
– 2) Two surfaces ( anterior
& posterior surfaces )
– 3) Two borders ( medial &
lateral )
 Blood Supply and venous drainage of suprarenal
glands

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 The Ureters

 Carry urine from kidneys to

urinary bladder via peristalsis

 Pressure from full bladder

compresses ureters and
prevents backflow

 Each leaves the renal pelvis,

descends behind the
peritoneum to the base of the
bladder

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 Ureters

 The ureters are

protected from a
backflow of urine
because any increase
within the bladder
compresses and
closes the ends of the
ureters
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 The Urinary Bladder
 The urinary bladder is a smooth, collapsible, muscular sac that
stores urine
 Lies on pelvic floor posterior to pubic symphysis
Males: anterior to rectum
Females: anterior to vagina and uterus

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 Urinary Bladder
 The interior of the
bladder has openings
for both ureters and the
urethra

 The triangular region of

the bladder base
outlined by these
openings is called the
trigone which is a
common site of
infections
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 Urinary Bladder
 Very distensible and uniquely
suited for its function of urine
storage

 When UB empty, its walls are

thick and thrown into folds and
lies entirely within pelvis

 As it expands it becomes rises

in the abdominal cavity

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  If full: bladder is spherical and extends into abdominal cavity
(holds about 500 ml )
 If empty: bladder lies entirely within pelvis with shape like
upside-down pyramid
 Urine exits via the urethra

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The openings of the two ureters and the urethra mark a
triangular area called the trigone on the bladder floor.
 Urinary Bladder

 The bladder can store more than 300 ml or urine

without a significant increase in internal pressure

 A moderately full bladder holds approximately 500

ml and can about 1000 ml at capacity

 Urine is held in the bladder until release is

convenient

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 The Urethra

 The urethra is a
thin muscular tube
that drains urine
from the bladder
and conveys it out
of the body

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 Urethra
 At the bladder-urethra junction a thickening of the detrusor
muscle forms the internal sphincter
involuntary sphincter

 A second sphincter, the external urethral sphincter,

voluntary sphincter

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 Urethra in females
 In females the urethra is 3-
4 cm long and is tightly
bound to the anterior
vaginal wall by fibrous
connective tissue

 Greater risk of urinary

tract infections

 Females 3-4 cm

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 Urethra in males
 In males the urethra
is 20 cm long with
three regions
a. Prostatic urethra
b. Membranous
urethra
c. Spongy or penile
urethra
 The male urethra has
two basic functions
 It carries urine out
of the body
 It carries semen into
the female
reproductive tract
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 ~18 cm long in males
– Prostatic urethra
• ~2.5 cm long, urinary
bladder  prostate
– Membranous urethra
• ~0.5 cm, passes through floor
of pelvic cavity
– Penile urethra
• ~15 cm long, passes through
penis
 Difficulty in voiding urine
with enlarged prostate

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 Clinical Examples

 Incontinence is the involuntary release of urine that occurs

with great frequency in the elderly (particularly women).

 Renal failure is a condition where there is deterioration of

kidney function.

 Glomerulonephritis is inflammation of the glomeruli.

 Pyelonephritis infection of nephrons and renal pelvis.

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