THE URINARY SYSTEM -calyces- cup-shaped structures enclosing

the tips of the pyramids that collect and

Organs of the urinary systems
funnel urine toward the renal pelvis.
 Kidneys (2)
Functions of the urinary system
 Ureters (2)
 Urinary bladder (1) - Elimination of waste products
 Urethra (1) -filtering gallons of fluids from the bloodstream
every day creating “filtrate”
Location of the kidneys -“filtrate” includes: metabolic wastes, ionic
- Dimensions salts, toxins, drugs
-reddish-brown, bean shaped - Maintenance of blood
-12cm long, 6cm wide, 3cm thick  Reb blood cells production – by producing
- High on posterior abdominal wall hormone erythropoietin to stimulate RBC
-at the level of T12 to L3-superior lumbar region production in bone marrow.
- Retroperitoneal and against the dorsal body  Blood pressure (vessels size)- by producing
wall renin which causes vasoconstriction
- The right kidney is slightly lower than the left,  Blood volume (water balance)- ADH
convex laterally released from anterior pituitary targets the
- Attached to ureters, renal blood vessels, and kidney to limit water loss when blood
nerves at renal hilus (medial indention) pressure decreases or changes in blood
- Atop each kidney is an adrenal gland composition.
 Blood composition (electrolyte balanced)-
Coverings of the kidney water follows salt: aldosterone reclaims
- Adipose capsule sodium to the blood.
-surrounds the kidney  Blood PH- regulates H+ and HCO3- ions.
-provides protection to the kidney Blood flow in the kidneys
-helps keep the kidney in its correct location
against muscles of posterior trunk wall  Rich blood supply to filter blood and adjust
-ptosis- kidneys drop to a lower position blood composition
due to rapid fat loss, creating problems with the  ¼ of blood supply passes through the kidneys
ureters. each minute
-ptosis can lead to hydronephrosis, a  Blood enters the kidneys under extremely high
condition where urine backs up the ureters and pressure
exerts pressure on the kidney tissue.  Renal artery arises from abdominal aorta,
- Renal capsule divides into segmental artery at hilus.
-surrounds each kidney  Inside renal pelvis, segmental artery divides into
into lobar artery. Which branch into interlobar
Regions of the kidney
artery travelling thru the renal column to each
- Three regions of kidney the renal cortex
 renal cortex- outer region, forms an outer  At the medulla – cortex junction, the interlobar
shell artery curves over the medullary pyramids as
-renal columns- extensions of cortex- the arcuate artery.
Material inward.  Small interlobular arterioles branch off of the
 Renal medulla- inside the cortex, contains arcuate artery and move away from away the
medullary (renal) pyramids renal cortex and into the nephron of the kidney.
-medullary pyramids- triangular regions of  The final branches of the interlobular arteries
tissue in the medulla, appear striated. are called afferent arterioles.
 Renal pelvis- inner collecting tube, divides
into major and minor calyces.
  Afferent arterioles lead to the glomerulus, a  Narrow efferent arterioles-merges to become
network of capillaries that are involve in the interlobular vein: draining vessels.
filtration.  Glomerular capillaries are covered with
 Leading away from the glomerulus, blood less podocytes from the inner (visceral) layer of the
filtrate travels through the afferent arterioles glomerular capsule.
and into the peritubular capillaries.  Podocytes have long, branching
 From there, blood moves through similar veins processes called pedicels that
that parallel the arteries at their locations. intertwine with one another and cling
to the glomerular capillaries.
 Filtration slits between the pedicels
form a porous membrane around the
glomerular capillaries.
 The glomerular capillaries sit within a
glomerular capsule (bowman’s capsule)
 Expansion of renal tubule
 Receives filtered fluid
 Renal tubule coils into the PCT, then the
dLOH, Aloh, DCT and finally, the CD.
Nephrons  Along the PCT, much of the filtrate is
reclaimed.
 The structural and functional units of the
kidneys. Renal tubule
 Over 1 million
 Glomerular (bowman’s ) capsule enlarged
 Responsible for forming urine
beginning of renal tubule
 Consist or renal corpuscle and renal tubule
 Proximal convoluted tubule- lumen surface
-renal corpuscle composed of a knot of
(surface exposed to filtrate) is covered with
capillaries called the glomerulus (a.k.a
dense microvilli to increase surface area.
bowman’s capsule)
-renal tubule- enlarged, closed, cup-shaped and  The descending limb of the nephron loop of
giving rise to the PCT,DLOH,ALOH,DCT, and CD. henle.
 The ascending limb of the nephron coils tightly
Glomerulus again into the distal convoluted tubule
 Many DCT’s merge in renal cortex to form a
 A specialized capillary bed fed and drained by
collecting duct.
arterioles.
 Collecting ducts not a part of nephron
-glomerular capillaries filter fluid from the mood
 Collecting ducts receive urine from
into the renal tubule.
nephrons and deliver it to the major
 GC is attached to arterioles on both sides in
calyx and renal pelvis.
order to maintain high pressure.
 CD run downward through the
 Large afferent arteriole-arises from
medullary pyramids, giving them their
interlobular artery (feeder vessels):
striped appearance.
large in diameter, high resistance
vessels that force fluid and solutes Blood supply of a nephron
(filtrate) out of the blood into the
glomerular capsule.  Peritubular capillary
 99% of the filtrate will be reclaimed by  Efferent arteriole branches into a
the renal tubule cells and returned to second capillary bed
the blood in the peritubular capillary  Blood under low pressure
beds (blood vessels surrounding renal -capillaries adapted to reabsorption
tubule). instead of filtration
  Attached to a venule and eventually into the peritubular capillary cells and then
lead to the interlobular veins to drain enter the capillary blood.
blood from the glomerulus.  Secretion- hydrogen ions, potassium ions,
 Cling close to the renal tubule where creatine and drugs are removed from the
they receive solutes and water from the peritubular capillaries (blood) and secreted by
renal tubule cells as these substance the peritubular capillary cells into the filtrate.
from the filtrate are reabsorbed into
Filtration
the blood.
 Juxtaglomerular apparatus  Beginning step of urine formation
 At origin of the DCT it contacts afferent  Occurs at the glomerulus, nonselective passive
and efferent arterioles process
 Epithelial cells of DCT narrow and -water and solutes smaller than proteins are
densely packed, called macula densa forced through capillary walls of the glomerulus,
 Together with smooth muscle cells, which act as filter.
comprise the juxtaglomerular  Fenestration- (opening in glomerular walls)
apparatus. make glomerulus more permeable than other
-control renin secretion and indirectly, arterioles.
aldosterone secretion.  Podocytes cover capillaries, make membrane
impermeable to plasma proteins.
-blood cells cannot pass out to the capillaries;
filtrate is essentially blood plasma w/o blood
proteins, blood cells.
 Filtrate is collected in the glomerular
(bowman’s) capsule and leaves via the renal
tubule.

Filtration pressure

 Hydrostatic pressure of blood forces substances

through capillary wall
 Net filtration pressure normally always positive
-hydrostatic pressure of blood is greater than
Types of nephron the hydrostatic pressure of the glomerulus
 Cortical nephrons capsule and the osmotic pressure of glomerulus
-located entirely in the cortex plasma.
-includes most nephrons -if arterial blood pressure falls dramatically, the
 Juxtaglomerular nephrons glomerular hydrostatic pressure falls below
-found at the boundary of the cortex and level needed for filtration.
medulla and their LOH dip deep into the -the epithelial cells of renal tubules lack
medulla. nutrients and cells die. Can lead to renal failure.

Urine formation processes

 Filtration- water and solutes smaller than

proteins are forced through the capillary walls
and pores (of the glomerulus) into the renal
tubule (bowman’s capsule)
 Reabsorption- water, glucose, amino acids and
needed ions are transported out of the filtrate
  The composition of urine is different
than the composition of glomerular
Filtration rate filtrate
 Rate of filtration is directly proportional to net  -tubular reabsorption returns
filtration pressure. substances to the internal environment
 Regulation of filtration rate. of the blood by moving substances
-rate typically constant; may need to increase or through the renal tubule walls into the
decrease to maintain homeostasis peritubular capillaries(99%)
1. Sympathetic nervous system reflexes  -some water, ions, glucose, amino acids
 Respond to drops in blood pressure and  Some reabsorption is passive = water to
blood volume osmosis and small ions to diffusion
 As pressure drops, sympathetic nerves  Most is active using protein carriers- by
cause vasoconstriction of afferent active transport
arterioles. -Most reabsorption occurs in the
 Decrease rate of filtration proximal convoluted tubule, where
 Less urine produce, water is conserved microvilli cells act as transporters,
 As pressure rises, sympathetic nerves taking up needed substances from the
cause vasoconstriction of efferent filtrate and absorbing them into the
arterioles. peritubular capillary blood.
 Increase rate of filtration  Substances that remain in the renal
 More urine produced, water is removed tubular become more concentrated as
2. Renin production by JGA water is reabsorbed from filtrate.
 Renin is an enzyme controlling filtration
Reabsorption – sodium and water
rate
 Juxtaglomerular cells secrete renin in  The sodium potassium pump reabsorbs
response to 3 stimuli 70% of sodium ions in the PCT.
-sympathetic stimulation (fast response) -the positive sodium ions attract
-specialized pressure receptors in negative ions across the membrane as
afferent arterioles sense decrease in well.
blood pressure -water reabsorption occurs passively
-macula densa sense decrease in across the membrane to areas of high
chloride, potassium, and sodium ions solute concentration
reaching distal tubule. -therefore, more sodium reabsorption =
 Released renin reacts with more water reabsorption.
angiotensinogen in blood stream to  Active transport of sodium ions occurs
form angiotensin I- which is converted along remainder of nephron and
into angiotensin II by the angiotensin I collecting duct.
converting enzyme, ACE -almost all sodium ions and water are
 Angiotensin II acts to vasoconstrict reabsorbed.
efferent arteriole
Material not reabsorbed
-blood backs up into glomerulus,
increasing pressure and maintains  Nitrogenous waste product
filtration rate. Urea- formed by liver: end product of
 Angiotensin II also stimulates secretion protein breakdown when amino acids
of aldosterone from adrenal glands. are used to produce energy
-stimulates tubular reabsorption of Uric acid- released when nucleic acids
sodium and H2O follows are metabolized
Creatinine- associated with creatine
Reabsorption
metabolism in muscle tissue.
  Excess water The link between water and salt

Secretion- reabsorption in reverse  Changes electrolyte balance causes water to

move from one compartment to another
 Some materials move from the peritubular
 Alters blood volume and blood pressure (think
capillaries into the renal tubules to be
of aldosterone)
eliminated in urine.
 Can impair the activity of cells (swelling/edema)
 Example:
 Water intake must equal water output
Hydrogen ions; potassium ions
 Sources for water intake/output:
Creatinine
 Intake: ingested foods and fluids, water
Drugs: penicillin, histamine
produced from metabolic processes (glycolysis)
 Process is important for getting rid of
 Output: vaporization out of the lungs, post in
substances not already in the filtrate or
perspiration, leaves the body in the feces, urine
controlling pH.
production
 Materials left in the renal tubule move toward
 Dilute vs, concentrated urine
the ureter
 Dilute urine is produced if water intake is
Formation of urine excessive
 Less urine (concentrated) is produced if large
Summary: amounts of water are lost
 Glomerular filtration of materials from blood  Proper concentration of various electrolytes
plasma must be present.
 Reabsorption of substances, including glucose;
water, sodium
 Secretion of substances, including penicillin,
histamine, hydrogen and potassium ions

Maintaining water balance

 Normal amount of water in the human body

 Young adult females- 50%
 Young adult males- 60%
 Babies- 75%
 Old age- 45%
 Water is necessary for many body functions and
levels must be maintained

Distribution of body fluid

 Intracellular fluid (inside cells)

 Extracellular fluid (outside cells)
 Interstitial fluid
 Blood plasma