Anatomy and Physiology

Urinary System
Mrs. Hiyasmin U. Gutierrez, RMT
 OBJECTIVES
1.Identify and describe the components of
the urinary system and their function
2. Discuss the role of the kidney in
regulating fluid and electrolyte
balance, acid–base balance, and blood
pressure.
3. Describe the (histological) organization
of the nephron.
4. Trace a drop of filtrate as it becomes
urine
1. Which of the following is a
function of the kidney?
A. Regulates blood pressure.
B. Filters waste from the blood.
C. Regulates the pH of the body.
D. Regulates the body's
electrolyte concentration.
E. All of the above.
2. The functional unit of the
kidneys is the
A. neuron.
B. neural glial cell.
C. nephron.
D. ureters.
E. nephritis.
3.Urine that has glucose in
it is usually an indicator
of:
A. diabetes mellitus.
B. a bacterial infection.
C. muscle atrophy.
D. acidosis .
4. The bladder is lined with
______________ epithelium.
A. Simple columnar
B. Transitional
C. Stratified squamous
D. Simple cuboidal
E. Pseudostratified
columnar
5. Which of the following is not
normally filtered from the
blood?
A. Ammonia
B. Water
C. Amino acids
D. Blood cells
E. Urea
6. Which of the following is reabsorbed
back into the blood via passive
transport?
A. Amino acids
B. Glucose
C. Hydrogen ions
D. Calcium
E. Water
7. Urine leaves the urinary
bladder though the
____________________.
A. urethra
B. anus
C. ureters
D. kidneys
8. Components of the
urinary system include
A. 2 kidneys
B. 2 ureters
C. 1 urinary bladder
D. 1 urethra
E. All are correct
9. Which is not a function of the
kidneys?
A. production and release of
calcitriol and erythropoietin
B. storage of urine
C. regulation of blood composition
and pH
D. regulation of blood volume and
pressure
E. maintenance of blood osmolarity
URINARY SYSTEM

A system that is
designed to get rid of
waste that is present
only in your blood.
 Functions
Filters blood
Toxins
Metabolic wastes
Excess water
Excess ions
Nitrogenous wastes from blood
Urea
Uric acid
Creatinine
Regulates the balance of water and electrolytes, acids
and bases
Function of the Urinary System

1.Filtration:
 The excretory tubule collects
filtrate from the blood. Water and
solutes are forced by blood
pressure across the selectively
permeable membranes of a cluster
of capillaries and into the
excretory tubule.
Function of the Urinary System
2. Reabsorption:
The transport epithelium
reclaims valuable
substances from the
filtrate and returns them
to the blood stream
 Function of the Excretory System
3. Secretion:
Other substances are extracted
from body fluids and added to
the contents of the excretory
tube.
4. Excretion:
The filtrate leaves the system
and the body.
What are the parts of

URINARY
SYSTeM???
 The Urinary System
Paired kidneys
A ureter for each kidney
Urinary bladder
Urethra
Structure of the Urinary System

Bladder Kidneys

Urinary System

Urethra Ureters

Meatus
Let’s Take a Closer Look!
-a pair of brownish-red
structures

KIDNEYS
-bean-shaped organs
Located behind
and outside the
peritoneal

KIDNEYS
cavity on the
posterior wall of
the abdomen
from the 12th
thoracic
vertebra to the
3rd lumbar
vertebra in the
adult
KIDNEYS
 Kidneys
• An adult kidney weighs
120 to 170 g (about 4.5 oz)
and is 12 (about 4.5 inches)
long, 6 cm wide, and 2.5 cm
thick.

•The kidneys are well

protected by the ribs,
muscles, fascia, peri renal
fat, and the renal capsule,
which surround each kidney.
 Kidneys
The kidney consists of
two distinct regions:

Renal Parenchyma

Renal Pelvis
 Kidneys
Renal Parenchyma

The renal parenchyma is divided into

the cortex and the medulla.

The cortex contains the The medulla resembles

glomeruli, proximal and conical pyramids. The
distal tubules, and pyramids are situated
cortical collecting ducts with the base facing the
and their adjacent concave surface of the
peritubular capillaries. kidney and the apex
facing the hilum, or
pelvis
Cortex- Outer dark region has a dotted
appearance. 
Medulla- Pale inner region has pyramid like
structures .

The pyramids open into small tube like

structures the minor calyx and two or three
minor calyx opens into the a major calyx.

The all the major calyces opens into the pelvis. 

The pelvis is the proximal end of the ureter that

receives the urine from the calyces.
KIDNEYS
Cortex: outer layer, light
reddish brown, granular
appearance (due to many
corpuscles)

-outer protective portion

Medulla: darker striped
appearance (due to tubules)
Subdivided into distinct
renal pyramids, terminating
with a papilla. Separated by
renal columns from the
cortex.

-inner soft portion

 The cortex is where
the blood is filtered. Medulla
 The medulla contains
Pelvis
the collecting ducts
which carry filtrate
(filtered substances)
to the pelvis.
 The pelvis is a
hollow cavity where
urine accumulates
and drains into the
ureter. Cortex
 Kidneys
Renal Pelvis

The hilum, or pelvis, is the concave portion of

the kidney through which the renal artery enters
and the renal vein exits. The renal artery (arising
from the abdominal aorta) divides into smaller
and smaller vessels, eventually forming the
afferent arteriole.
KIDNEYS
Nephron
 The functional units of the kidney are called nephrons.

 Nephrons are located in the renal cortex, except for their loops of
Henle, which descend into the renal medulla.

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Two
Nephron
a.R parts
enal Corpuscle
1.
B
2.
G owman Capsule
lomerulus
b.Series
R enal
layer Tubule
of -
single
tubules
1. Proximal
Convoluted tubule
2. Loop of Henle
3. Distal Convoluted
tubule
Kidneys are made up of nephrons. Blood enters the nephron,
where impurities are filtered out and emptied into the collecting
duct. The purified blood leaves the nephron through the renal
vein.
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 Capillaries
Bowman’s capsule

Glomerulus

Nephron

Collecting
duct
Vein

Artery To the ureter

Loop of Henle

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 The glomerulus is a mass of thin-walled capillaries.

 The Bowman’s capsule is a double-walled, cup-shaped structure.

 The proximal tubule leads from the Bowman’s capsule to the

Loop of Henle.

 The loop of Henle is a long loop which extends into the medulla.

 The distal tubule connects the loop of Henle to the collecting

duct.
 Each nephron has its own blood
supply:
 An arteriole
 A venule
 A network of capillaries connecting
them
Each nephron releases fluids to a
collecting duct, which leads to the
ureter. © iTutor. 2000-2013. All Rights Reserved
 Each kidney contains more than 1 million nephrons.

 Blood Flow through the Kidneys

Blood enters through the renal artery Arterioles
Each arteriole leads to a nephron Renal corpuscle
The glomerulus filters fluid from the blood, and is the first
place where urine is formed in the kidneys.
Blood flows through the glomerulus at a constant rate.

Each glomerulus is surrounded by a capsule known as Bowman’s

capsule.

Blood then passes into the renal tubules where some substances are
reabsorbed and the remaining become urine.

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The Kidneys
How is blood filtered?
 As blood enters a nephron through the arteriole,
impurities are filtered out and emptied into the
collecting duct.

 The purified blood exits the nephron through the

venule.
 The mechanism of blood purification involves
two distinct processes:
Filtration
Reabsorption

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Filtration 
Passing a liquid or gas through a filter to remove
wastes is called filtration.
The filtration of blood mainly takes place in the
glomerulus.
The glomerulus is a small network of capillaries
encased in the top of the nephron by a hollow, cup-
shaped structure called Bowman's capsule.
Fluid from the blood flows into Bowman’s capsule.
The materials filtered from the blood include water,
urea, glucose, salts, amino acids, and some vitamins.
Plasma proteins, cells, and platelets remain in the
blood because they are too large to pass through the
capillary walls.
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 Reabsorption 
 Most of the material removed from the blood at
Bowman's capsule makes its way back into the blood.
 The process in which liquid is taken back into a vessel is
called reabsorption.
 Almost 99% of the water that enters Bowman’s capsule is
reabsorbed into the blood.
 When the filtrate drains in the collecting ducts, most
water and nutrients have been reabsorbed into the blood.
Afferent arteriole
Efferent arteriole

Glomerular
Filtration
Bowman’s
capsule Glomerulus
Classes of
nephrons

 Cortical nephrons
 85% of all
nephrons
 Almost entirely
within cortex

 Juxtamedullary
nephrons
 Renal corpuscles
near cortex-
medulla junction
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Kidneys
 Urine Formation
INVOLVES THREE PROCESSES: 

ULTRAFILTRATION.- Filtration
under high pressure.  When blood
flows through glomerular capillaries-
all substances (except blood cells and
plasma proteins) are filtered. Main
reason for ultrafiltration is the
difference in the size of afferent and
efferent arterioles. The efferent
arteriole are narrower than the afferent
arteriole.

TUBULAR REABSORPTION.-
absorption of useful substances from TUBULAR SECRETION.- secretion of
the nephric filtrate into the blood. harmful substances from the blood into
(diffusion and active transport)  the nephric filtrate by the cells of DCT
 Urine Formation cont.
Steps of Urine
Formation
BOWMAN’S • Reabsorption of
CAPSULE remaining water and
Chlorides.
• Walls secrete K+
• Ultrafiltration and foreign
chemicals such as
• Receives glomerular
penicillin and other
Filtrate
drugus into the
forming urine

Glomerulus DCT
 What is Urine?
Urine is a liquid waste that is 95% water. The
remainder consists of:
Urea (majority) and uric acid
Ammonia
Hormones
Dead blood cells,
Proteins, salts, and minerals
Various Toxins.
 Composition of Urine
Sterile
95 % water
Nitrogen containing waste – urea, uric acid, ammonia,
creatinine
Electrolytes
Light yellow color of urine is due to a pigment called
urochrome
Urochrome is formed from the breakdown of
hemoglobin in the liver
 Urine Specific Gravity
Ratio of the amount of solute to the total volume
Solute = substance dissolved in the urine
The greater the solute = greater the specific gravity
Concentrated Urine = high specific gravity
Ex. dehydration
Dilute Urine = low specific gravity
Ex. Overhydration,
 Urine Characteristics
Amount – 1500 ml in 24 hours
pH – average 6.0
Specific Gravity – heavier than water (1.001-1.035)
Color – yellow (amber, straw colored, concentrated,
orange, brown, red, sediment, clear or cloudy)
Dehydrated = deep yellow, dark
Overhydrated = pale yellow, colorless
 Constituents of Urine
Organic Gm/L Inorganic Gm/L
Urea 2.3 NaCl 9.0
Creatinine 1.5 KCl 2.5
Uric Acid 0.7 Ammonia 0.6
Others 2.6 Others 2.5

• Mainly Urine consists of about 95% WATER and 5% of SOLID wastes

dissolved in it.
• Abnormal Constituents in urine
1. Blood Cells- Blood passing thru’ Urine due to infection or kidney stone or
tumor.
2. Glucose/Glycosuria – Excess glucose passing through urine due to
DIABETES MELLITUS.
3. Albumin – Due to high BP or bacterial infection permeability of
Bowman’s Capsule membrane increases.
4. Bile Pigments- Anemia, Hepatitis (jaundice) or liver cirrhosis.
Abnormal Constituents of
Urine
Albumin (protein)
Glucose
Red blood cells
Hemoglobin
White blood cells
Ketone bodies
Bilirubin
 Urine Testing
Urinalysis
Microscopic exam
Culture and sensitivity
Urine Drug and alcohol screening
24 hour urine testing
Ureters
A tube approximately
6 to 7 inches long
attached to each
kidney.

Peristalsis, a rhythmic
contraction of the ureter
smooth muscle which helps
to move the urine into the
bladder.
 URETERS
Each ureter is about 25 cm long
and carries urine from the renal
pelvis to the urinary bladder via
peristaltic waves.

The wall of the ureter consists of three layers.

The outermost is a fibrous coat, middle
layer is muscular [ circular & longitudinal]
and the innermost layer is called the
mucosa, a transitional epithelium that is
continuous with the lining of the renal pelvis
and bladder, also secretes a protective mucus.
Urinary Bladder
•Hollow, muscular organ
Urinary bladder that stores urine
Ureter •Sphincter muscles hold
the urine in place
•Holds 300 to 400
milliliters of urine before
emptying
•Walls contain epithelial
Prostate
gland tissue that stretch to
Urethra
allow the bladder to hold
twice its capacity
 Bladder
Stores and expels
urine
Lies on pelvic floor
posterior to pubic
symphysis
Males: anterior to
rectum
Females: just
anterior to the
vagina and uterus
69
70
71
 The Urethra
 Smooth muscle with inner mucosa
 Changes from transitional through stages to stratified squamous near
end
 Drains urine out of the bladder and body

 Male: about 20 cm (8”) long

 Female: 3-4 cm (1.5”) long

 Short length is why females have more urinary tract infections than
males - ascending bacteria from stool contamination

urethra

Urethra____

72
Urethral sphincters
 Internal: involuntary sphincter of smooth muscle
 External: skeletal muscle inhibits urination voluntarily
until proper time (levator anni muscle also helps
voluntary constriction)

Males: urethra has

three regions (see _________trigone
right)
1. Prostatic urethra__________
2. Membranous urethra____

3. Spongy or penile urethra_____ female

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