Urinary System1
The urinary system is the major excretory
system of the body.
Some organs in other systems also eliminate
wastes, but they are not able to compensate in
the case of kidney failure.
Kidney Characteristics
Bilateral retroperitoneal organs
Shape and size:
• bean shaped
• weighs 5 ounces (bar of soap or size of fist)
Location:
• between 12th thoracic and 3rd lumbar vertebra
Kidney Structures 1
Renal capsule:
Urinary System Functions
• connective tissue around each kidney
1. Excretion
• protects and acts as a barrier
2. Regulation of blood volume and blood
Hilum:
pressure
• indentation
3. Regulation of blood solute concentration
• contains renal artery, veins, nerves, ureter
4. Regulation of extracellular fluid pH
Kidney Structures 2
5. Regulation of red blood cell synthesis
Renal sinus:
Components of the Urinary System
• contains renal pelvis, blood vessels, fat
Two kidneys
Renal cortex:
Two ureters
• outer portion
One urinary bladder
Renal medulla:
One urethra
• inner portion
Kidney Structures 3 Glomerulus:
Renal pyramid: • contains capillaries wrapped around it.
• junction between cortex and medulla
Calyx:
• tip of pyramids
Renal pelvis:
• where calyces join
• narrows to form ureter
Nephron Components 2
Filtration membrane:
• in renal corpuscle
• includes glomerular capillaries, podocytes,
basement membrane
Filtrate:
• fluid that passes across filtration membrane
Nephron Components 3
Nephron
Proximal tubule:
The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney.
• where filtrate passes first
Each kidney has over one million nephrons.
Loop of Henle:
There are two types of nephrons in the kidney:
• contains descending and ascending loops
• juxtamedullary
• water and solutes pass through thin walls by
• cortical
diffusion
Approximately 15% are juxtamedullary
Nephron Components 4
The nephron includes the renal corpuscle, proximal
Distal tubule:
tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule and collecting duct
• structure between Loop of Henle and collecting
Nephron Components 1
duct
Renal corpuscle:
Collecting duct:
structure that contains a Bowman’s capsule and
• empties into calyces
glomerulus
• carry fluid from cortex through medulla
Bowman’s capsule:
• enlarged end of nephron
• opens into proximal tubule
• contains podocytes (specialized cells
• around glomerular capillaries)
9. Vasa recta
10. Interlobular vein
11. Arcuate Vein
12. Interlobar vein
Urine Formation1
Urine formation involves three processes:
• Filtration – occurs in the renal corpuscle
• Reabsorption – it involves removing substances
from the filtrate and placing back into the blood
• Secretion – it involves taking substances from the
Flow of Filtrate through Nephron blood at a nephron area other than the renal
1. Renal corpuscle corpuscle and putting back into the nephron tubule.
2. Proximal tubule
3. Descending loop of Henle
4. Ascending loop of Henle
5. Distal tubule
6. Collecting duct
7. Papillary duct
Blood Flow through Kidney
1. Renal artery
2. Interlobar artery
3. Arcuate artery Urine Formation-Filtration1
4. Interlobular artery Movement of water, ions, small molecules
5. Afferent arteriole through filtration membrane into Bowman’s
6. Glomerulus capsule
7. Efferent arteriole 19% of plasma becomes filtrate
8. Peritubular capillaries 180 Liters of filtrate are produced by the
nephrons each day
1% of filtrate (1.8 liters) become urine rest is
Reabsorbed
Urine Formation-Filtration2
Only small molecules are able to pass through
filtration membrane
Formation of filtrate depends on filtration
pressure
Filtration pressure forces fluid across filtration
membrane
Filtration pressure is influenced by blood
Pressure Urine Concentration1
The descending limb of the loop of Henle is a
critical site for water reabsorption.
The filtrate leaving the proximal convoluted
tubule is further concentrated as it passes
through the descending limb of the loop of
Henle.
The mechanism for this water reabsorption is
osmosis.
Urine Concentration2
The renal medulla contains very concentrated
interstitial fluid that has large amounts of Na+, Cl−and
urea.
The wall of the thin segment of the descending limb
is highly permeable to water.
Urine Production-Reabsorption
As the filtrate moves through the medulla
99% of filtrate is reabsorbed and reenters
containing the highly concentrated interstitial fluid,
circulation
water is reabsorbed out of the nephron by osmosis.
Proximal tubule is primary site for reabsorption
The water enters the vasa recta.
of solutes and water
Urine Concentration3
Descending Loop of Henle concentrates filtrate
The ascending limb of the loop of Henle dilutes
Reabsorption of water and solutes from distal
the filtrate by removing solutes. The thin segment of
tubule and collecting duct is controlled by
the ascending limb is not permeable to water, but it is
hormones. permeable to solutes. Consequently, solutes diffuse
out of the nephron
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