Histology of the Urinary System

Question 1

The presence of more than on ureter is typically the result of what embryological anomaly?

Answer 1

More than two uterine buds

Question 2

Kidneys filter blood to keep it pure of what four things?

Answer 2

Toxins, metabolic wastes, excess water, and excess ions

Question 3

What are the three nitrogenous wastes that the kidneys remove from the blood?

Answer 3

Urea, uric acid, and creatinine

Question 4

The kidneys regulate the balance of what?

Answer 4

Water, electrolytes, acids and bases

Question 5

How many histologic portions does the renal capsule have?

Answer 5

Two

Question 6

What does the outer layer of the renal capsule have in abundance that dyes the layer blue?

Answer 6

Collagen

Question 7

What cell types composes the inner layer of the renal capsule?

Answer 7

Myofibroblasts

Question 8

What in the kidney is immediately deep to the capsule?

Answer 8

The cortex

Question 9

What renal structures are in the cortex?

Answer 9

Renal corpuscles and associated tubules

Question 10

What renal structures are in the medulla?

Answer 10

Straight tubules, collecting ducts, and vasa recta

Question 11

What does a renal lobe consist of?

Answer 11

A renal pyramid, its overlying renal cortex, one half of each adjacent renal columns

Question 12

What are the two capillary beds in the renal vasculature?

Answer 12

Glomerulus and peritubular capillaries and vasa recta

Question 13

What are the names of the arterioles that go into and leave the glomerulus capillaries?

Answer 13

Afferent go into the glomerulus capillaries and efferent leave the glomerulus capillaries

Question 14

Describe the structures that blood passes through as it moves through the kidneys, starting with the aorta and ending with IVC.

Answer 14

Aorta, renal artery, segmental artery, interlobar artery, arcuate artery, interlobar artery, afferent arteriole, glomerulus capillary, efferent arteriole, peritubular capillary and vasa recta, interlobar vein, arcuate vein, interlobar vein, renal vein, IVC

Question 15

What are the three main functions of the kidney?

Answer 15

Filtration, reabsorption, and secretion

Question 16

What are the two parts of the nephron?

Answer 16

Renal corpuscle (filtration happens here) and Renal tubule

Question 17

What happens in the renal tubule?

Answer 17

This is where tubular reabsorption and secretion happens

Question 18

Each nephron drains into what?

Answer 18

A collecting tubule

Question 19

There are roughly how many nephrons per kidney?

Answer 19

1 million

Question 20

What are the two kinds of nephrons?

Answer 20

Juxtamedullary and cortical

Question 21

What are medullary rays?

Answer 21

These are straight portions of the loop of henley found on light microscope slides

Question 22

What happens in the renal corpuscle?

Answer 22

Where glomerular filtration happens

Question 23

What are the two components of the renal corpuscle?

Answer 23

The glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule (aka glomerular capsule)

Question 24

What is the glomerulus?

Answer 24

A tuft of capillaries composed of 10 - 20 capillary loops. The glomerular capillaries are supplied by an afferent arteriole and drained by an efferent arteriole

Question 25

What are the two layer of Bowman's capsule?

Answer 25

Visceral layer (inner layer) and parietal (external layer)

Question 26

What are the extension of podocytes called

Answer 26

Pedicles

Question 27

What is the space between two pedicles of a podocyte called?

Answer 27

Filtration slit

Question 28

What is the slit diaphragm of a podocyte?

Answer 28

A semipermeable membrane covering the slit

Question 29

What does the renal tubule consist of?

Answer 29

PCT, loop of Henley (nephron tube), DCT

Question 30

What is PCT lined with?

Answer 30

Simple cuboidal epithelium

Question 31

PCT have what appearance in slides/pictures?

Answer 31

Fuzzy and also the borders of the cuboidal cells are not visible

Question 32

The thick descending limb of the loop of Henley is lined with what?

Answer 32

Simple cuboidal epithelial cells

Question 33

The thin descending limb of the loop of Henley is lined with what?

Answer 33

Simple squamous epithelium

Question 34

The thin ascending limb of the loop of Henley is lined with what?

Answer 34

Simple squamous epithelium

Question 35

The thick ascending limb of the loop of Henley is lined with what?

Answer 35

Simple cuboidal epithelium

Question 36

Describe the lumen the the DCT versus the PCT.

Answer 36

Lumen is smoother and larger, and we can start to see some of the cell borders in DCT

Question 37

What is the color of PCT cytoplasm indicating what stain affinity?

Answer 37

Reddish, acidophilic

Question 38

What is the juxtaglomerular apparatus?

Answer 38

Structure where afferent arteriole makes contact with ascending limb of loop of Henley

Question 39

The juxtaglomerular apparatus is composed of what two things?

Answer 39

Macula densa and juxtaglomerular cells

Question 40

What tissue lines the collecting ducts?

Answer 40

Simple cuboidal epithelium

Question 41

What are the four layers of the calyces, renal pelvis, ureters, and urinary bladder?

Answer 41

Mucosa, submucosa, muscularis, and adventitia

Question 42

What is the mucosa of the calyces, renal pelvis, ureters, and urinary bladder?

Answer 42

Transitional epithelium (urothelium) and lamina propria

Question 43

What are the three layers of the muscularis layer in the calyces, renal pelvis, ureters, and urinary bladder?

Answer 43

Inner longitudinal layer, outer circular layer, and outermost longitudinal layer (distal end of ureter and present in bladder)

Question 44

Are the ureters and urinary bladder, intra or retroperitoneal?

Answer 44

Retroperitoneal

Question 45

If something in retroperitoneal what is it lined with?

Answer 45

Adventitia

Question 46

How long are ureters?

Answer 46

10-12 inches

Question 47

What is the shape of the ureter lumen?

Answer 47

Star shaped

Question 48

The female urethra is lined with what?

Answer 48

Initially urothelium and then stratified squamous epithelium (occasionally pseudostratified columnar epithelium)

Question 49

What is the prostatic part of the male urethra lined with?

Answer 49

Urothelium

Question 50

What is the membranous part of the male urethra lined with?

Answer 50

Stratified columnar epithelium and pseudostratified columnar epithelium

Question 51

What is the spongy part of the male urethra lined with?

Answer 51

Stratified columnar epithelium and pseudostratified columnar epithelium (distally; stratified squamous epithelium)