Scribd
Upload
10 views4 pages

Urinary Notes

The urinary system is responsible for waste elimination and maintaining homeostasis, involving organs such as the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys, with urine formation occurring through filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. The urinary bladder stores urine, while the urethra facilitates its excretion, with notable differences in length and function between genders.

Uploaded by

Abdulrhman Mukhtar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
10 views4 pages

Urinary Notes

The urinary system is responsible for waste elimination and maintaining homeostasis, involving organs such as the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys, with urine formation occurring through filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. The urinary bladder stores urine, while the urethra facilitates its excretion, with notable differences in length and function between genders.

Uploaded by

Abdulrhman Mukhtar
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 4

Urinary Notes

1. What are the functions of the urinary system?


- The urinary system eliminates waste products (nitrogenous wastes, toxins, drugs) and
regulates aspects of homeostasis including water balance, electrolytes, acid-base balance in the
blood, blood pressure, red blood cell production, and activation of vitamin D.

2. What are the organs of the urinary system?


- The organs of the urinary system are the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.

3. Where are the kidneys located?


- The kidneys are located against the dorsal body wall at the level of T12 to L3. The right
kidney is slightly lower than the left. They are attached to ureters, renal blood vessels, and nerves
at the renal hilus, and each kidney has an adrenal gland atop it.

4. What are the coverings of the kidneys?


- The coverings of the kidneys include the renal capsule (which surrounds each kidney) and the
adipose capsule (which surrounds the kidney, provides protection, and helps keep the kidney in
its correct location).

5. What are the regions of the kidney?


- The regions of the kidney include the renal cortex (outer region), renal medulla (inside the
cortex), and renal pelvis (inner collecting tube).

6. What structures are found within the kidneys?


- The structures within the kidneys include the medullary pyramids (triangular regions of tissue
in the medulla), renal columns (extensions of cortex-like material inward), and calyces (cup-
shaped structures that funnel urine towards the renal pelvis).

Page | 1
7. What are nephrons and what are their main structures?
- Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the kidneys responsible for forming urine.
Their main structures include the glomerulus and renal tubule.

8. What is the glomerulus and what are its features?


- The glomerulus is a specialized capillary bed attached to arterioles on both sides (large
afferent arteriole and narrow efferent arteriole) to maintain high pressure. It sits within a
glomerular capsule, the first part of the renal tubule.

9. What are the components of the renal tubule?


- The renal tubule consists of the glomerular (Bowman's) capsule, proximal convoluted tubule,
loop of Henle, and distal convoluted tubule.

10. What are the types of nephrons?


- There are two types of nephrons: cortical nephrons (located entirely in the cortex and include
most nephrons) and juxtamedullary nephrons (found at the boundary of the cortex and medulla).

11. What are peritubular capillaries and what is their function?


- Peritubular capillaries arise from the efferent arteriole of the glomerulus, are normal, low-
pressure capillaries attached to a venule, cling close to the renal tubule, and reabsorb substances
from collecting tubes.

12. What are the processes involved in urine formation?


- The processes involved in urine formation include filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.

13. What happens during filtration in urine formation?


- Filtration is a nonselective passive process where water and solutes smaller than proteins are
forced through capillary walls, blood cells cannot pass out of the capillaries, and filtrate is
collected in the glomerular capsule and leaves via the renal tubule.

Page | 2
14. What materials are reabsorbed during urine formation and where does most
reabsorption occur?
- Materials reabsorbed include some water, glucose, amino acids, and ions. Some reabsorption
is passive, but most is active, and most reabsorption occurs in the proximal convoluted tubule.

15. What materials are not reabsorbed during urine formation?


- Materials not reabsorbed include nitrogenous waste products (urea, uric acid, creatinine) and
excess water.

16. What occurs during secretion in urine formation?


- During secretion, some materials move from the peritubular capillaries into the renal tubules
(hydrogen and potassium ions, creatinine), and the materials left in the renal tubule move toward
the ureter.

17. What are the characteristics and function of the ureters?


- Ureters are slender tubes attaching the kidney to the bladder, continuous with the renal
pelvis, enter the posterior aspect of the bladder, run behind the peritoneum, and peristalsis aids
gravity in urine transport.

18. What is the urinary bladder and what is its function?


- The urinary bladder is a smooth, collapsible, muscular sac that temporarily stores urine. It
has a trigone with three openings (two from the ureters and one to the urethra).

19. What are the characteristics of the urinary bladder wall?


- The urinary bladder wall consists of three layers of smooth muscle (detrusor muscle),
mucosa made of transitional epithelium, thick and folded walls in an empty bladder, and can
expand significantly without increasing internal pressure.

20. What is the urethra and what are its functions?


- The urethra is a thin-walled tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body
by peristalsis. The release of urine is controlled by the internal urethral sphincter (involuntary)
and the external urethral sphincter (voluntary).

Page | 3
21. What are the gender differences in the urethra?
- In females, the urethra is 3-4 cm long, located along the wall of the vagina, and only carries
urine. In males, the urethra is 20 cm long, passes through the prostate and penis, and carries both
urine and sperm.

22. What is the normal amount of water in the human body at different life stages?
- 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.

23. How is water and electrolyte reabsorption regulated?


- Regulation is primarily by hormones: antidiuretic hormone (ADH) prevents excessive water
loss in urine, aldosterone regulates sodium ion content of extracellular fluid, and the renin-
angiotensin mechanism triggers aldosterone release. Cells in the kidneys and hypothalamus are
active monitors.

24. What are the normal blood pH range and conditions outside this range?
- Blood pH must remain between 7.35 and 7.45 to maintain homeostasis. Alkalosis occurs
when pH is above 7.45, and acidosis occurs when pH is below 7.35. Most ions originate as
byproducts of cellular metabolism.

25. What are the developmental aspects of the urinary system?


- Functional kidneys are developed by the third month. In newborns, the bladder is small, and
urine cannot be concentrated.

Page | 4

You might also like