THE URINARY SYSTEM | Ch.

15 (Marieb) kidney and gives a fresh kidney a

TERMINOLOGIES glistening appearance
perirenal fat capsule - surrounds each
kidney - bear the major responsibility kidney and cushions it against blows
for eliminating nitrogenous renal fascia - outer layer of dense
(nitrogen-containing) wastes, toxins, and fibrous connective tissue, anchors the
drugs from the body kidney and adrenal gland to surrounding
renin - enzyme ; help regulate blood structures
pressure
erythropoietin - stimulates red BLOOD SUPPLY
blood cell production in bone marrow renal artery - arterial supply of each
kidney
segmental arteries - division as the renal
artery approaches hilum
interlobar arteries - several branches
after above mentioned ; travel through
the renal columns to reach the cortex
arcuate arteries - at the cortex-medulla
junction, interlobar arteries give off the
arcuate (ar′ku-at) arteries, which arch
over the medullary pyramids
KIDNEY | LOCATION & STRUCTURE cortical radiate arteries - small cortical
retroperitoneal position - beneath the radiate arteries then branch off the
parietal peritoneum arcuate arteries and run outward to
● kidneys extend from the T12 to the supply the cortical tissue
L3 vertebra
● adult kidney is about 12 cm (5 NEPHRONS
inches) long, 6 cm (2.5 inches) nephrons - responsible for forming urine
wide, and 3 cm (1 inch) thick, ● thousands of collecting ducts, each
about the size of a large bar of of which collects fluid from several
soap nephrons and conveys it to the
renal hilum - medial indentation ; enter renal pelvis
or exit
adrenal gland - atop each kidney ; part of
endocrine system (separate organ
functionally)
fibrous capsule - encloses each
 deliver the final urine product into the
calyces and renal pelvis
Two capillary bed (associated with every
nephron)
Nephron two main structures: ● glomerulus - both fed and drained
● renal corpuscle by: arterioles ; specialized for
● renal tubule filtration
Renal corpuscle: ● peritubular capillary bed - arises
glomerulus - each renal corpuscle consist from efferent arteriole that drains
of this ; it is a knot of capillaries glomerulus ; low pressure, porous
glomerular capsule (glom = little vessel adapted for absorption
ball) - or Bowman’s capsule instead of filtration ; drain into
podocytes - inner (visceral) layer of the interlobar veins leaving the cortex
capsule is made up of highly modified afferent arteriole - arises from a cortical
octopus-like cells radiate artery, is the “feeder vessel,”
Renal tubule: efferent arteriole - receives blood that
● makes up the rest of the nephron has passed through the glomerulus
(3 cm long)
● Regions of the tubule: GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
○ proximal convoluted tubule Glomerular filtration - nonselective,
(PCT), passive process in which fluid passes
○ nephron loop, or loop of from the blood into the glomerular
Henle (hen′le) capsule part of the renal tubule
○ distal convoluted tubule ● filtration is a passive process that
(DCT) requires a pressure gradient
cortical nephrons - most nephrons are filtrate - once inside the capsule = fluid is
called this bc: they are located almost called filtrate, and it is essentially blood
entirely within the cortex plasma without blood proteins
juxtamedullary nephrons - few cases
they are called this bc: they are situated TUBULAR REABSORPTION
close to the cortex-medulla junction, and Tubular reabsorption - begins as soon
their nephron loops dip deep into the as the filtrate enters the proximal
medulla convoluted tubule
collecting ducts - receives urine from tubule cells - called “transporters” ;
many nephrons, run downward taking up needed substances from the
through the medullary pyramids, giving filtrate and then passing them out their
the pyramids a striped appearance ;
posterior aspect into the extracellular
space
Nitrogenous waste products - are
poorly reabsorbed, if at all. These include
the following:
● urea - formed by the liver as an
end product of protein breakdown
when amino acids are used to
produce energy
● uric acid - released when nucleic
acids are metabolized
● creatinine - associated with
creatine metabolism in muscle
tissue
Note: Because tubule cells have few
membrane carriers to reabsorb these
substances, they tend to remain in the
filtrate and are found in high concentrations
in urine excreted from the body.

TUBULAR SECRETION
tubular secretion - essentially tubular
reabsorption in reverse ; process seems
to be important for getting rid of
substances not already in the filtrate
● such as certain drugs, excess
potassium, or as an additional
means for controlling blood pH
 ● Some substances, such as pyelonephritis - conditions that produce
hydrogen and potassium ions (H+ urine with a high specific gravity include
and K+) and creatinine, also move inadequate fluid intake, fever, and a
from the blood of the peritubular kidney inflammation
capillaries through the tubule cells
or from the tubule cells
themselves into the filtrate to be
eliminated in urine

CHARACTERISTIC OF URINE
filtrate - contains everything that blood
plasma does (except proteins)
● but by the time it reaches the URETERS
collecting ducts, the filtrate has ureter - passageways that carry urine
lost most of its water and just from the kidneys to the bladder
about all of its nutrients and ● are two slender tubes each 25 to
necessary ions 30 cm (10 to 12 inches) long and 6
urine - contains nitrogenous wastes and mm (¼ inch) in diameter
unneeded substances (water + solutes) ● runs behind the peritoneum from
freshly voided urine - generally clear and the renal hilum to the posterior
pale to deep yellow aspect of the bladder, which it
urochrome - normal yellow color of urine enters at a slight angle
; a pigment that results from the body’s
destruction of hemoglobin URINARY BLADDER
● more solute in urine = deeper urinary bladder - smooth, collapsible,
yellow color muscular sac that stores urine
urine pH - usually slightly acidic ; but temporarily
changes in body metabolism and certain ● Location: retroperitoneally in the
foods may cause it to be much more pelvis just posterior to the pubic
acidic or basic symphysis
specific gravity - term used to compare ureteral orifices - two ureter opening
how much heavier urine is than distilled internal urethral orifice - single opening
water of the urethra ; drains the bladder
● sg of pure water = 1.0 trigone - smooth triangular region of the
● sg of urine = 1.001 to 1.035 (dilute bladder base outlined by these three
to concentrated urine) openings
 ● important clinically because ○ spongy (or penile) urethrae
infections tend to persist in this ● Double Function:
region ○ carries urine out of the
prostate gland (part of male body
reproductive system)- surrounds the neck ○ provides passageway for
of the bladder where it empties into the sperm ; ejected from the
urethra body
detrusor muscle - bladder wall contains Female urethra:
three layers of smooth muscle, ● about: 3 to 4 cm (1 ½ inches) long
collectively called the detrusor muscle ○ external orifice, or opening,
transitional epithelium - mucosa ; lies anteriorly to the vaginal
special type of epithelium opening
● Urinary Function:
○ conduct urine from the
bladder to the body
exterior

MICTURITION
micturition (or voiding) - act of emptying
the bladder
Two sphincter: control the
URETHRA flow of urine from the bladder
urethra - thin-walled tube that carries ● internal urethral sphincter (more
urine by peristalsis from the bladder to superiorly located)
the outside of the body ○ as the contractions become
internal urethral sphincter - thickening stronger, stored urine is
of the smooth muscle forms at the forced past the internal
bladder-urethra junction urethral sphincter (the smooth
external urethral sphincter - second muscle, involuntary sphincter)
sphincter ; formed by skeletal muscle into upper part of urethra =
as the urethra passes through the pelvic leads to: urge to void
floor ; voluntarily controlled ● external urethral sphincter (more
Men urethra: inferiorly located)
● approx: 20 cm (8 inches) long ○ we can choose to keep it
● Three regions: closed and postpone bladder
○ prostatic emptying temporarily bc:
○ membranous external u. sphincter is
 voluntarily controlled (skeletal
muscle)

Impulses transmitted to the sacral region

of the spinal cord and then back to the
bladder via the pelvic splanchnic nerves
cause the bladder to go into reflex
contractions