INTERNATIONAL COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES (ICHS)

BASIC MEDICAL
SCIENCES 2
CHAPTER 1
RENAL SYSTEM
 LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of this topic the students will know the:
• Functions of the urinary system
• External and internal anatomy and physiology
of the kidneys
• Physiology of nephrons
• Anatomy and physiology of ureters, urinary
bladder and urethra.
• Mechanism of urine production.
 THE URINARY
SYSTEM
•The job of urinary system is to
make urine, thereby controlling
the body’s fluid and ion balance
and eliminating waste products

•Helps keep the body in

homeostasis by removing and
restoring selected amounts of
solutes and water from the
blood.
 WHAT ARE THE
URINARY ORGANS
INVOLVED??
 STRUCTURE AND
FUNCTIONS
STRUCTURE FUNCTION

Kidney - Two kidneys (right and left), bean shaped organs

- Filtration, regulation of blood volume, regulation of
solutes, pH of extra cellular fluid, RBC synthesis, Vit. D
synthesis
- Makes urine

Ureters - Urine flows from kidneys to urinary bladder

Urinary bladder - Storage of urine

Urethra - Transports urine out from the urinary bladder

KIDNEY
 KIDNEY
• Paired organs, reddish in color and
bean-shaped
• The main filtering organs of the
system, producing the urine.
• Average adult kidney:
11.25 cm (4 inches) long
5.0 to 7.5 cm (2-3 inches)
• Kidneys are located just
above the waist between
the parietal peritoneum and
the posterior wall of
abdomen
(RETROPERITONEAL)

• Located between the

twelfth thoracic and third
lumbar vertebrae
 FUNCTIONS OF KIDNEY
1. EXCRETION: Removal of organic wastes
from body fluids like urea, Creatinine, uric acid
and bilirubin

2. ELIMINATION: Discharge of harmful

substances entering the body like drugs, toxins,
heavy metals and pesticidies.

3. pH REGULATION: The kidneys control the

proper balance of hydrogen ions in the blood.
4. HOMEOSTATIS : Kidney maintain water
balance of body by excreting it when it is
in excess, and conserving it when there is
substantial loss of water.

- Kidneys also maintain electrolyte balance

specially that of sodium
5. BLOOD PRESSURE: The kidney produce the
enzyme RENIN, which helps adjust filtration
pressure.

6. ERYTHROCYTE CONCENTRATION: The

kidneys produce ERYTHROPOIETIN, a hormone
that stimulates red blood cell production in red
bone marrow.

• They help regulate the concentration of

erythrocytes in the blood in cases of chronic
hypoxia.
6. VITAMIN D PRODUCTION: The kidneys
convert vitamin D to its active form
(calciferol).
• Vitamin D is important for normal bone
and teeth development.
• It also helps control calcium and
phosphorus metabolism.
 Renal artery
PATWAY OF BLOOD THROGH THE RENAL 

SYSTEM (RENAL BLOOD VESSELS)

Interlobar arteries

Arcuate arteries

Interlobular arteries

Afferent arterioles

Glomerulus

Efferent arterioles

Peritubular capilaries

Interlobular veins

Arcuate veins

Interlobar veins

Renal vein
 EXTERNAL ANATOMY OF THE
KIDNEY
a. RENAL HILUM : gives kidney
bean shape, root of renal arteries
(bring blood to kidney), renal vein
(brings blood out) and ureter
(transport urine out)

b. RENAL SINUS: The entrance to

a cavity in the kidney which is
occupied by the renal pelvis, renal
calyces, blood vessels, nerves and
fat
Three tissue layers protecting kidney are:
a. Renal capsule

• Innermost layer,
covers the kidney
• Smooth transparent
• It is a barrier against
infection and trauma
to the kidney.
b. Adipose Capsule c. Renal Fascia

• It is a mass of fatty • Consist of a thin

tissue that protects the layer of fibrous
kidney from blows. connective tissue
• Firmly holds the that also anchors
kidney in place in the the kidneys to their
abdominal cavity. surrounding
structures and to the
abdominal wall.
INTERNAL ANATOMY OF
KIDNEY
The kidney can be divided into three main
layers:

Renal Cortex
- Superficial region
- The outer area of the kidney.

Renal Medulla
- Middle layer of the kidney
- Renal pyramids – cone shaped
structures that make up the medulla.
- Medullary rays – extend from the
renal pyramids into the cortex.
- Renal columns - consists of the
same tissue as the cortex that projects
between the renal pyramids.
- Renal papillae – tips of the
pyramids project toward renal
sinus.
Renal Pelvis
• Occupies a large portion of the renal
sinus
• An open space which forms the ureter as
it exits the kidney
• Forms the major and minor calyces
which enclose the papillae of the renal
pyramids where each kidney contains 8
to 20 minor calyces and 2 to 3 major
calyces.

– Minor calyces – funnel shaped chambers

into which the renal papillae extend.

– Major calyces – a larger funnel formed

by the minor calyces of several pyramids
NEPHRON
 NEPHRON
 The part that performs the real functions of the kidney consists of
millions of microscopic funnels and tubules. These fundamental
units are NEPHRONS

Each kidney contains 1,000,000 nephrons that filter the blood and
form urine.

The number of nephrons does not increase after birth. When

nephrons are damaged they are not replaced or regenerated.

Nephron is divided into two parts, Renal Corpuscle and Renal

Tubule. Renal corpuscle is a site of filtration while Renal tubule is
a site of reabsorption and secretion .
 FOUR MAJOR FUNCTIONS OF
NEPHRONS
1. Control blood concentration and volume by removing
selected amounts of water and solutes.

2. Helps regulate blood pH.

3. Remove toxic waste from the blood.

4. Stimulate red blood cell production in red bone marrow

by producing a hormone called ERYTHROPOIETIN.
RENAL CORPUSCLE
 Blood enters the renal RENAL
CORPUSCLE via GLOMERULUS a
capillary ball.

 It is surrounded by glomerular capsule or

BOWMAN’S CAPSULE: A double-
walled, cup-shaped structure around the
glomerulus of each nephrons . The visceral
layer of Bowman’s capsule.

 It serves as a filter to remove organic

wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water.

 Filtered fluid moves into RENAL

TUBULE.
 FUNCTIONS OF RENAL CORPUSCLE
 Glomerulus – capillary within
Bowman’s capsule

 Bowman’s Capsule
• Enlarged terminal end of the nephron.
Indented to form a double walled
chamber.
a. VISCERAL LAYER – Is the innermost
layer of the capsule made of by
podocytes.
 It serves as a filter to remove organic
wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water.
b. PARIETAL LAYER – Is the outermost
layer of the capsule
RENAL TUBULE
 Reabsorption occurs here.
• Active transport pushes materials back into
circulatory system that are needed by the body

 The parts are involved are as proximal tubule,

loop of Henle (descending and ascending),
distal tubule and collecting duct.
PATHWAY OF RENAL TUBULE
PROXIMAL TUBULE: is the first part of the renal tubule. PCT
located in the cortex.

DESCENDING LOOP OF HENLE: Which narrows in diameter as
it dips into the medulla of the kidney.

As the tubule straightens, it increases in diameter and ascends toward
the cortex of the kidney called ASCENDING LOOP OF HENLE.

In the cortex, the tubule again becomes
convoluted called DISTAL TUBULE.

The distal tubule ends by merging with a
large straight COLLECTING DUCT.

The COLLECTING DUCT now pass
through the RENAL PYRAMIDS and
open into the CALYCES Of THE
PELVIS through the number of larger
papillary ducts.

They empty urine in the RENAL PELVIS
URINE FORMATION

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 THREE PROCESS OF URINE
FORMATION
1. GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
Removes water and these dissolved substance
from the plasma of blood

a. Sodium d. Magnesium
e. bicarbonate,
b. Potassium
f. Sulfate
c. Calcium g. Urea
h. uric acid
2. TUBULAR REABSORPTION
• This step is known as selective reabsorption because only
some elements are reabsorbed back into the body.

• This selective reabsorption takes place by the capillary

network surrounding the proximal convoluted tubule, loop of
Henle and distal convoluted tubule. Absorption takes place
both by osmosis and by active transport.
3. TUBULAR SECRETION

• This is the step where the urine is made concentrated by increasing the concentration of
waste elements. Substances move into the distal and collecting tubules from blood in the
capillaries around these tubules.
• These substances are secreted by the mechanism of active transport.
The substances secreted include
a. hydrogen ions
b. potassium ions
c. Ammonia
d. certain drugs or metabolic end products.

• The distal convoluted tubules then drain the urine into the collecting tubules.
• Then, several collecting tubules join together to drain their contents into the collecting duct.
• This then eventually reaches the renal pelvis, from where the urine flows into the ureter to
reach the urinary bladder.
URETER, BLADDER AND URETHRA
URETER
• Ureter - Are muscular
tube that propel urine
from the kidneys to
the urinary bladder.

• Are the tubes that

connect each kidney
to the bladder.

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 BLADDER
• Muscular sac that serves as a
reservoir for urine and stretches to
accommodate urine.

• Collects urine excreted by the

kidneys prior to disposal by
urination.

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 URETHRA
• In the human male, • In the human female,
the urethra is about the urethra is about
8 inches (20 cm) 1+1/2–2 inches (2–5 cm)
long and opens at long and opens
the end of the penis. between the clitoris
The urethra and the vaginal
provides an exit for opening, extending
urine as well as from the internal to
semen during the external urethral
ejaculation. orifice.
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THANK YOU