Lesson 2:

Biology 5090
Topic: The human urinary
system
Conducted by: Miss Numaira Urooj
The human urinary system
Human urinary system consist of pair of kidneys, a
pair or ureters, a urinary bladder and a urethra.
The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that are
embedded in a mass of fat in the abdominal cavity.
The average size of human kidney is 10 to 13 cm
long and about 5 to 7 cm wide.
They are attached to the dorsal wall (towards the
back) of the abdominal cavity, 1 on each side of the
vertebral column or spine.
The kidneys lie just above the waist line. Left
kidney is slightly higher than the right kidney.
Hilus
The surface of the kidney that faces the
vertebral column is concave. At the center
of the concave surface is a depression
called the hilus.
The renal artery, the renal vein and the
nerves are connected to the kidney at the
hilus.
Ureter
The ureter is a narrow tube that connects
the kidney to the urinary bladder.
Urine from each kidney passes through
the ureter to the urinary bladder.
Urinary bladder
The urinary bladder is an elastic muscular
bag located in front of the rectum.
It stores urine
urethra
The urethra is the duct through which
urine passes from the bladder to outside of
the body.
Sphincter muscle
The sphincter muscle is located at the
bottom of the bladder.
It is used to control urination.
When the bladder is full, sensory neurons
send nerve impulses to the brain.
To urinate the brain sends nerve impulses
to the sphincter muscle to cause it to relax.
Urine is then able to flow into the urethra
and out of the body.
Structure of kidney
Structure of kidney
Human kidney consist of two main regions.
The cortex and the medulla.
The medulla contains the renal pyramids , the
contains nephrons.
Nephrons are the basic functional units of the
kidney.
They are tiny kidney tubules where urine is
formed.
The kidney is connected to the ureter at the end
of renal pelvis.
The cortex
The cortex is the outer dark red region.
It is covered and protected by fibrous
capsule
The medulla
The medulla is the inner pale red region.
The renal pyramids are located in this
region.
Renal pyramid
Renal pyramids are conical structures
located in the medulla.
The human kidney contains 12 to 16
pyramids.
The radial strips on the medulla pyramids
indicates numerous kidney tubules.
These kidney tubules are called nephrons.
Urine is formed in the nephrons.
Renal pelvis
The renal pyramids project into a funnel-
like space called the renal pelvis.
The renal pelvis is enlarged portion of the
ureter inside the kidney.