URINARY SYSTEM -provides protection to the kidney

-Often called as the “excretory system” -acts to cushion it against blows

-Composed of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and -Renal fascia - (outermost capsule)
urethra. -anchors the kidney and helps hold the kidney in
place against the muscle of the trunk wall.
FUNCTIONS OF THE URINARY
SYSTEM ________________________________

1. Maintains the body’s water and salt balance. Kidneys have 2 other regulatory function:

2. Regulates the acid-base balance of the blood.  By producing the enzyme renin, that help
regulate blood pressure.
3. Removes the nitrogen containing wastes, TOXINS  The hormone erythropoietin
from the blood and flushes them from the body
through the urine. -stimulates the production of RBC in the bone
marrow
___________________________________
_________________ -it converts vitamin D to its active form

ORGANS OF THE URINARY REGIONS OF KIDNEY – when kidney is cut

lengthwise
SYSTEM
1. Renal cortex
 Kidneys
 Ureters -outer region (light in color)
 Urinary bladder 2. Renal medulla
 Urethra
-inside the cortex (darker reddish brown)
3. Renal pelvis
-inner collecting tube – flat basin like cavity

OUTER ORGANS OF THE

URINARY SYSTEM
 2 paired URETERS
 Urinary bladder
 Urethra
-provide temporary storage for urine and serve as
transportation channels to carry it from the kidneys
to the outside of the body.

___________________________________
___
KIDNEYS
-Bean-shaped organ about 12 cms long, 6 cms wide
and 3 cms thick
-Located at the level of T12 to L3
-The right kidney is slightly lower than the left
COVERINGS OF THE KINDEY
1. Fibrous Capsule
-transparent HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCE
-encloses each kidney and gives a fresh kidney a 1. Ptosis
glistening appearance
-dropping of the kidney to a lower position if the
2. Perirenal fat capsule amount of tissue dwindles (as with rapid weight loss)
-surrounds the kidney
=creates problems if the ureters which drain urine
from the kidneys become kinked.
=when this happens, urine that can no longer pass
thru the ureters backs up and exerts pressure on the
kidney tissue causing HYDRONEPHROSIS which
can severely damage the kidney
______________________
NEPHRONS
-also called as the collecting duct
THREE PROCESSES OF URINE
THE STRUCTURAL AND FUNCTIONAL
UNITS OF THE KIDNEYS FORMATION
-Responsible for forming urine 1. Glomerular filtration

-Main structures of the nephrons: -is a nonselective passive process in which fluids
passes from the blood into the glomerular capsule
 Glomerulus – a knot capillaries parts of the renal tubule.
 Renal tubule
2. Tubular reabsorption
-Types of Nephrons
-is the process of reclaiming nutrients, ions, and
1. Cortical Nephrons water that the body needs from the filtrate in the
renal tubule.
-located entirely in the cortex
3. Tubular filtration
-includes most nephrons
-the process of actively moving substance from
2. Juxtamedullary nephrons peritubular blood into the renal tubule for
-found at the boundary of the cortex and medulla elimination from the body.
_______________________
RENAL TUBULE
-has a cup-shaped closed end called Glomerular
(Bowman’s) capsule
-the rest of the tubule had a collecting tube called
collecting duct
-Have different regions namely the:

 Proximal convoluted tubule

 Loop of Henle
 Distal convoluted tubule

_________________________
GLOMERULUS
-a specialized capillary bed
-fed and drained by arterioles
a. Large afferent arteriole – is the feeder vessel
b. Narrow efferent arteriole – receives blood
that has passed through the glomerulus
-capillaries are covered with octopus sized cells
called podocytes from the renal tube
-sits within a glomerular capsule (the first part of the
renal tube)
_____________________________
URETERS
-two slender tubes attaching the kidney to the ___________________________________
bladder which is 25 to 30 cms long and 6 mm in __
diameter
URETHRA
-serves as a passageway that carry urine from the
kidney to the bladder -thin-walled tube that carries urine from the bladder
to the outside of the body by peristalsis
 Continuous with the renal pelvis
-release of urine is controlled by two sphincters:
 Enter the posterior aspect of the bladder
 Internal urethral sphincter (involuntary) -
-runs behind the peritoneum
keeps the urethra closed when urine is not
-peristalsis aids gravity in urine transport being passed.
 External urethral sphincter (voluntary) -
HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCE fashioned by skeletal muscle as the urethra
passes thru the pelvic floor
1. Renal calculi
-crystals formed from solutes such as uric acid salts FUNCTIONS OF THE URINARY
that precipitate in the renal pelvis caused by urine SYSTEM
becomes concentrated
-Regulate aspects of homeostasis
-there is excruciating pain that radiates to the flank
 Water balance
-caused by frequent bacterial infections of the  Electrolytes
urinary tract  Acid-base balance in blood
-urinary retention and alkaline urine all favor calculi  Blood pressure
formation  Red blood cell production
 Activation of vitamin D
________________________________
URINARY BLADDER
-smooth, collapsible, muscular sac
WATER BALANCE FUNCTION
-FUNCTION: -maintaining water balance
-Water – is necessary for many body functions and
 Temporarily stores urine
levels must be maintained
-Normal amount of water in the body:

 Young adult females – 50%

 You adult males – 60%
 Babies – 75%
 Old age – 45%
DISTRIBUTION OF BODY FLUID
-Intracellular fluid (inside cells)
-Extracellular fluid (outside cells)

 Interstitial fluid
-if the interior of the bladder is scanned, 3 openings
 Blood plasma
are seen:

 2 Ureter openings URETRAL ORIFICES

 Single opening of the urethra INTERNAL
URETHRAL ORIFICE
-which drains the bladder
-Trigone – smooth triangular region of the bladder
base outlined by these 3 openings
-when the bladder is empty, it is collapsed, 5 to 7.5
(2-3 inches) long
-as urine accumulates, the bladder expands and rises
superiorly in the abdominal cavity
MAINTAINING WATER BALANCE
-Water intake must equal water output ___________________________________
__
-Sources for water intake
BLOOD BUFFERS
 Ingested foods and fluids
 Water produced from metabolic processes -Molecules react to prevent dramatic changes in
hydrogen ion (H+) concentrations
-Sources for water output
 Bind to H+ when pH drops
 Vaporization out of the lungs  Release H+ when pH rises
 Lost in perspiration
 Leaves the body in the feces -Three major chemical buffer systems:
 Urine production  Bicarbonate buffer system
THE LINK BETWEEN WATER AND SALT  Phosphate buffer system
 Protein buffer system
-Changes in electrolyte balance causes water to move
from one compartment to another THE BICARBONATE BUFFER SYSTEM

-"Where sodium goes, water follows” -mixture of carbonic acid (H₂CO₃) and sodium
bicarbonate (NaHCO₃)
 Alters blood volume and blood pressure
 Can impair the activity of cells -bicarbonate ions (HCO₃-) react with strong acids to
change them to weak acids
MAINTAINING WATER BALANCE
-carbonic acid dissociates in the presence of a strong
-Dilute urine is produced if water intake is excessive base to form a weak base and water
-Less urine (concentrated) is produced if large RESPIRATORY SYSTEM CONTROLS OF
amounts of water are lost ACID-BASE BALANCE
-Proper concentrations of various electrolytes must -Carbon dioxide in the blood is converted to
be present bicarbonate ion and transported in the plasma
REGULATION OF WATER AND -Increases in hydrogen ion concentration produces
ELECTROLYTE REABSORPTION more carbonic acid
-Regulation is primarily by hormones -Excess hydrogen ion can be blown off with the
release of carbon dioxide from the lungs
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) prevents
excessive water loss in urine -Respiratory rate can rise and fall depending on
 Aldosterone regulates sodium ion content of changing blood pH
extracellular fluid
RENAL MECHANISMS OF ACID-
-triggered by the renninangiotensin mechanism
BASE BALANCE
-Cells in the kidneys and hypothalamus are active
monitors -Excrete bicarbonate ions if needed
-Conserve or generate new bicarbonate ions if
MAINTAINING ACID-BASE needed
BALANCE – function
-Urine pH varies from 4.5 to 8.0
MAINTAINING ACID-BASE BALANCE IN
BLOOD URINE FORMATION PROCESSES
-Blood pH must remain between 7.35 and 7.45 to  Glomerular filtration
maintain homeostasis  Tubular reabsorption
 Tubular secretion
 Alkalosis – pH below 7.45
 Acidosis – pH below 7.35
-Most ions originate as byproducts of cellular
metabolism
-Most acid-base balance is maintained by the
kidneys
-Other acid-base controlling systems

 Blood buffers
 Respiration
1. Glomerular filtration  Hydrogen and potassium ions
 Creatinine
-is a nonselective passive process in which fluids
passes from the blood into the glomerular capsule -Materials left in the renal tubule move toward the
parts of the renal tubule. ureter
-water and solutes smaller than proteins are forced CHARACTERISTICS OF URINE
through capillary walls and pores of the glomerular
capsule into the renal tube USED FOR MEDICAL DIAGNOSIS
-blood cells cannot pass out to the capillaries  Colored somewhat yellow due to the pigment
urochrome (from the destruction of
-filtrate is collected in the glomerular capsule and hemoglobin) and solutes
leaves via the renal tubule  Sterile
 Slightly aromatic
HOMEOSTATIC IMBALANCE
 Normal pH of around 6
1. Oliguria  Specific gravity of 1.001 to 1.035
-an abnormally urine output between 100 and 400 _________________________________
ml/day
MICTURITION (Voiding)
2. Anuria
-Both sphincter muscles must open to allow voiding
-less than 100 ml/day
 The internal urethral sphincter is relaxed
-low urinary output indicates that glomerular BP is after stretching of the bladder
too low to cause filtration
 Activation is from an impulse sent to the
-but Anuria – may also result from transfusion spinal cord and then back via the pelvic
reaction and acute inflammation or from crush splanchnic nerves
injuries of the kidneys  The external urethral sphincter must be
voluntarily relaxed
TUBULAR REABSORPTION
DEVELOPMENTAL ASPECTS OF
-Water, glucose, amino acids and needed ions are
transported out of the filtrate into the tubule cells
URINARY SYSTEM
and then enter the capillary blood -Functional kidneys are developed by the third
month
-The peritubular capillaries reabsorb several
materials -Urinary system of a newborn
 Some water  Bladder is small
 Glucose  Urine cannot be concentrated
 Amino acids
 Ions -Control of the voluntary urethral sphincter does not
start until age 18 months
-Some reabsorption is passive, most is active
-Urinary infections are the only common problems
-Most reabsorption occurs in the proximal before old age
convoluted tubule
AGING AND THE URINARY
MATERIALS NOT ABSORBED
SYSTEM
-Nitrogenous waste products
-There is progressive decline in urinary function
 Urea – formed by the liver
-The bladder shrinks with aging
Uric acid – released when nucleic acids are
metabolized -Urinary retention is common in males
 Creatinine
-Excess water

TUBULAR SECRETION –
REABSORPTION IN REVERSE
-Hydrogen and potassium ions, creatinine and drugs
are removed from peritubular blood and secreted by
the tubule cells into the filtrate
-Some materials move from the peritubular
capillaries into the renal tubules