Urinary System

Francis Ian L. Salaver, RMT

Urinary System

Composed of the following organs:

Paired Kidneys

Ureters

Urinary Bladder and;

Urethra

Function of the Kidneys

Regulation of water and electrolytes

Acid base balance

Acidic blood= release hydrogen into urine

Basic blood = release bicarbonate in the urine

Excretion of metabolic waste products through

urine formation (including drug metabolites)

Function of the Kidneys

Secretion of renin to increase blood pressure **

Secretion of erythropoietin

Increases red cell production in the bone marrow

Activation of Vitamin D

Gluconeogenesis

Kidney

Has a concave medial border called HILUM where nerves

enter and ureter exits; where blood and lymph vessels
enter and exits.
Has a convex lateral side. Each side is covered by capsule

Kidney

At the hilum, the ureter expands as the RENAL

PELVIS and divides into 2-3 MAJOR CALYCES.
Smaller branches called MINOR CALYCES arise
from the major calyces

Kidney

Outer cortex and Inner Medulla

Inner medulla contains 8-12 conical structures called
RENAL PYRAMIDS which are separated by the
structure from the cortex called RENAL COLUMNS

Kidney

Each pyramid and renal column along its side comprises one
RENAL LOBE
Striations extending from the medulla into the cortex are called
MEDULLARY RAYS
Tip of the pyramid that projects into the minor calyces are called
RENAL PAPILLA

Kidney

Functional unit:
NEPHRONS
1 million in number

Major divisions

Glomerulus
Proximal Convoluted Tubule
Loop of Henle

Descending limb
Ascending limb

Distal Convoluted Tubule

Connecting Tubule

Nephron

Glomerulus/Renal Corpuscle =
Dilated part; tuft of capillary
loops and site of filtration

Proximal
tubule

long
convoluted tube; located on the
cortex

Loop of Henle Medulla

Distal tubule- ascending part

from loop of Henle into the
cortex

Connecting tubule links

nephrons to the collecting duct

Cortical versus Juxtamedullary

Nephrons

Longer loop of
Henle???
Most abundant?
Found mostly on
the cortex?
medulla?

Blood circulation of the Kidney

Renal artery
Segmental
artery
Interlobar artery
Arcuate artery
Interlobular
artery
Afferent
arterioles

Peritubular
capillaries
surround the
proximal and
distal tubules
Vasa
recta
surrounds the
loop of Henle

Nephron Function

Filtration

Tubular Reabsorption

Tubular Secretion

Renal corpuscle and filtration

Contains tuft of capillaries surrounded by a doulbe-walled epithelial capsule

called the Bowmans capsule. Has a vascular pole and tubular pole

Internal visceral layer closely envelops the capillaries

Outer parietal layer forms the capsule

Between the two layers is the capsular/urinary space

Renal corpuscle and filtration

Outer layer of capsule is lined by simple squamous. At tubular pole, the

lining epithelium changes to simple cuboidal.
Visceral layer forms the podocytes. From the body of the podocytes,
several processes extend and curve around the capillary forming the
pedicels with filtration slits in between them

Slit diaphragm
Spans two
adjacent
pedicels and
bridges slit
pores
Modified tight
junctions

Process of filtration

Proximal Convoluted Tubule

Starts from the tubular pole of the renal corpuscle
Lined by simple cuboidal epithelium
Fills up the cortex
Tubular reabsorption and secretion
Almost half of water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins and salts
are reabsorbed back into the blood in the PCT

Proximal Convoluted Tubule

Cells
are
well-stained;
with
mitochondria, and long microvilli

numerous

Loop of Henle
U-shaped structure with thin descending and
ascending limb
Lined by simple squamous epithelium
Situated in the hyperosmolar medulla

Countercurrent mechanism

Distal convoluted tubule

Lined by simple cuboidal epithelim
Less absorption and secretion than in PCT
Cells are smaller and no microvilli (more nuclei
can be seen)

Macula Densa
Straight part of the DCT (macula densa) comes in
contact with the arterioles at the vascular pole of
the renal corpuscle (juxtaglomerular cells)
= JUXTAGLOMERULAR apparatus = RENIN

Collecting Ducts
Each nephron has connecting
tubules which carry filtrate into
collecting ducts
Simple cuboidal epithelium
At the medulla, collecting ducts
fuse to form ducts of Bellini
which run to the tips of the
At the apex of the pyramid, the
papillary duct is formed.

Collecting Ducts
Principal cells = pale staining
cells, few organelles, sparse
microvilli and unusually
distinct cell boundaries
Final site of water reabsorption
Responds to the ADH released
from the posterior pituitary
gland
Expresses aquaporin channels

Collecting Ducts
Intercalated cells darkly
stained cells interspersed
within principal cells
Secrete Hydrogen or
Bicarbonate ions

Ureter and Urinary Bladder

Transports urine from renal pelvis to the urinary
bladder where urine is temporary stored.
Lined by Transitional epithelium or urothelium

Single layer of basal cells

Intermediate region of several or more columnar

cells
Superficial layer of bulbous cells called umbrella
cells

Tight Junction in umbrella cells

Urethra
Tube that carries the urine from the urinary
bladder to the exterior
In males, has three portion
1. Prostatic urethra
2. Membranous urethra
3. Spongy urethra