A&PII > Module 7.1 - Anatomy of Urinary System > Flashcards

Module 7.1 - Anatomy of Urinary System Flashcards

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1
Q

What are the components of the urinary system?

A

pair of kidneys, 2 ureters, 1 urinary bladder, and 1 urethra

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2
Q

What does the ureter do?

A

drains corresponding kidney into urinary bladder

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3
Q

What does the urethra do?

A

carries waste as urine from the body

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4
Q

What are the functions of the kidneys?

A

fluid homeostasis, filtration of wastes, and homeostasis of blood volume and chemical composition

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5
Q

Describe the location and appearance of the kidney.

A

bean-shaped, size of soup can and weighs about 5 oz. Right kidney lies slightly lower than left because of liver’s location just above it. Both kidneys located between the T-12 and L3 vertebrae

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6
Q

What is the renal hilus?

A

a cleft on kidney’s concave medial surface that leads to the renal sinus

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7
Q

What is the renal sinus?

A

space within the kidney that has the ureters, blood vessels, and nerves

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8
Q

What is on top of each kidney?

A

adrenal gland

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9
Q

What are the 3 layers of specialized tissue at the kidney’s surface?

A

renal capsule, adipose capsule, and renal fascia

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10
Q

What is the location and function of the renal capsule?

A

inner layer of protective tissue, a tough fibrous outer skin that protects kidney from injury and infection

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11
Q

What is the location and function of the adipose capsule?

A

outside the renal capsule, protects the tissue from trauma

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12
Q

What is the location and function of the renal fascia?

A

outer layer of the kidney’s specialized surface tissue, dense fibrous connective tissue that anchors it inside abdominal cavity

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13
Q

What are the 3 distinct regions of the kidneys?

A

cortex, medulla, and pelvis

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14
Q

Describe the outer renal cortex and what it contains.

A

just inside renal capsule, is a continuous outer region with cortical columns, glomerular capsules, and the distal + proximal convoluted tubule sections of the nephrons + their blood vessels

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15
Q

What are cortical columns?

A

several projections in cortex that extend down between the renal medulla pyramids

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16
Q

Describe the renal medulla and what it contains.

A

deeper within the kidney, it is divided into sections called pyramids. Loop of Henle, collecting ducts of nephrons + their blood vessels

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17
Q

Describe the renal pelvis and what it contains.

A

centermost section of the kidney near the renal hilus. Constitutes a funnel-shaped tube that connects to the ureter as it leaves the hilus

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18
Q

What are calyces?

A

several extensions of the pelvis that collect urine and continuously drain it into the pelvis

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19
Q

What does the ureter do?

A

transports urine to the bladder to be stored after receiving urine from the renal pelvis

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20
Q

Why are the kidneys innervated by many blood vessels?

A

so they can filter the blood to regulate its composition

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21
Q

How much blood do the renal arteries deliver and from where?

A

about 1200ml of blood per min, 20% cardiac output, directly from the abdominal aorta

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22
Q

How many segments do the renal arteries branch into?

A

5 segmental arteries

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23
Q

What do the afferent arterioles supply?

A

the glomeruli

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24
Q

Map blood flow from the renal arteries to the glomeruli.

A

Renal arteries -> 5 segmental arteries -> lobar arteries -> interlobar arteries (between renal pyramids) -> arcuate arteries -> interlobular arteries -> afferent arterioles -> glomeruli

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25
Map blood flow after filtration occurs.
efferent arterioles -> peritubular or vasa recta capillaries -> interlobular veins -> arcuate veins -> interlobar veins -> renal vein
26
With what and how do the kidneys and nervous system interact?
the renal plexus whose fibers follow the renal arteries and input from sympathetic nervous system adjusts diameter of the renal arteries which regulates renal blood flow
27
What are ureters?
thin muscular tubes that carry urine from the kidneys (as continuation of the renal pelvis) to the base of bladder
28
What is located where the ureter enters the bladder? And what do they do?
the uretrovesical valves are sphincters that, (along with downward flow of urine) prevent urine from flowing back toward kidney
29
What are the 3 tissue layers of the ureter?
the inner lining made up of transitional epithelium and continuous with kidney lining, the middle layer made up of 1 longitudinal layer and 1 circular sheet of muscle, and the outer adventitia layer made of fibrous connective tissue
30
How does the ureter function?
distension of the middle muscle layer by the urine entering causes it to contract and push it through the ureter
31
What is the urinary bladder?
hollow, muscular, elastic pouch that receives and stores urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal through the urethra
32
What is the location of the bladder in males and females?
in males the base lies in front of rectum and behind pubic symphysis, while in females it sits below the uterus and in front of the vagina, so the maximum capacity is lower in females because it has less room to expand
33
What are ureteral orifices?
where ureters open into the bladder
34
What is the trigone?
smooth, triangular center region of the bladder where the both the ureteral orifices and urethral opening to bladder are located
35
What are the 3 layers of the bladder wall?
outer adventitia made of fibrous connective tissue, middle layer aka the detrusor muscle made of inner and outer longitudinal layers and a middle circular layer, and inner mucosal layer composed of transitional epithelium
36
What are transitional epithelial cells?
specialized cells, that can stretch allowing organ to increase its volume as it fills while protecting/covering underlying tissue, when organ empties they recoil to original shape
37
How does the bladder change shape?
it is very elastic, collapsing into a pyramidal shape when empty, and swelling into pear-shape as it fills rising in the abdominal cavity
38
How is the bladder so elastic where it can store large amounts of urine?
the muscular wall stretches and thins without a significant rise in internal pressure, while rugae extend to help capacity internally
39
What are the moderate and full urine capacities?
moderate = 500 ml full = 1000 ml
40
What is another word for urination?
micturition
41
What is the urethra?
thin-walled muscular tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body
42
Describe the cellular composition of the urethra's mucosal lining.
starts off as transitional cells as it exits the bladder, changes to stratified columnar cells, then changes to stratified squamous cells near the external urethral orifice
43
What is the urethral sphincter?
involuntary-controlled, keeps urethra closed at bladder to prevent urine from leaving
44
What is the external urethral sphincter?
voluntary-controlled, composed of skeletal muscle, surrounds urethra as it passes through pelvic floor
45
What is the difference between the male and female urethras?
the male urethra is 5 times longer than females and carries semen as well as urine
46
Why are females more prone to UTIs?
the urethral orifice is close to the anus, so poor hygiene after defecation can allow for bacteria to enter and travel up to bladder
47
In which region is the membranous urethra?
the urogenital diaphragm
48
What is a nephron? How many are there?
the basic structural and functional unit of a kidney. About 1 million present in each kidney
49
What is the general function of a nephron?
to control the concentration of water and soluble materials by filtering the blood, reabsorbing needed materials, and excreting the rest as urine
50
What are some specific functions of nephrons?
eliminates wastes from body, regulates blood volume, pH, and pressure, and controls electrolyte levels
51
What are the 2 parts of a nephron?
the glomerular capsule (renal corpuscle) and the renal tubule, which connect with the collecting ducts
52
What are the functions of the glomerular capsule (renal corpuscle) and renal tubule?
the glomerular capsule filters the blood, while the renal tubule reabsorbs needed materials
53
What are the 3 parts of the renal tubule?
the proximal convoluted tubule (PCT), the loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
54
What is the function of the collecting ducts?
to carry away the remaining material to be excreted as urine
55
What is the renal capsule composed of?
the glomerus surrounded by the glomerular (Bowman's) capsule
56
What is the glomerular (Bowman's) capsule?
a double walled simple squamous epithelial cup
57
What is the glomerus?
a network of tiny blood capillaries which are extremely porous
58
What are some unique qualities of the glomerular capillaries?
the endothelium has fenestrations (pores) that allow certain substances to leave. They are the only capillaries that lie between 2 arterioles (the afferent and efferent arteriole)
59
What is the difference between the afferent and efferent arteriole?
the afferent arteriole is fed by the interlobular artery is much larger in diameter than the efferent arteriole. This causes an extremely high blood pressure in capillaries forcing water and solutes out of the blood, making filtration possible
60
What is it called once water and solutes enter the glomerular capsule?
filtrate
61
What are cortical nephrons?
nephrons in the cortex region of the kidney, except for portion of the loop of Henle which extends into the medulla. Make up about 85% of kidney's nephrons
62
What are the juxtamedullary nephrons?
the other nephrons that pass deeply into the medulla because of their location and longer loops of Henle
63
Describe the proximal convoluted tubule.
first section of renal tubule, is coiled and specialized to reabsorb water and many solutes from the glomerular filtrate into the low-pressure peritubular capillaries that surround renal tubule. It also secretes certain unwanted substances
64
Describe the loop of Henle.
the 2nd section of the renal tubule, has descending limb (allows water loss) and ascending limb (allows NaCl loss)
65
Describe the distal convoluted tubule.
last part of the renal tubule, which is highly coiled and allows for hormonally controlled reabsorption of water and solutes. This section is most responsible for secretion of unwanted substances.
66
When is filtrate considered urine?
when it reaches the renal pelvis
67
Map flow of filtration/urine from the DCT.
DCT -> collecting duct -> papillary ducts -> calyces -> renal pelvis -> ureter
68
What are the 3 capillary beds associated with the nephrons?
the glomerular capillaries, peritubular capillaries, and the vasa recta
69
Detailed description of glomerular capillaries (glomerus).
highly coiled capillary beds formed from the afferent arteriole, leaving as the efferent arteriole. It's porosity and high pressure specialize it for filtration as it forces fluid and solutes out of the blood and into the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
70
Detailed description of peritubular capillary bed.
arise from the efferent arterioles leaving the glomerus. They follow the renal tubules and drain into the interlobular vein. Because of their porosity and low pressure, they are adapted for absorption, reclaiming water and solutes from filtrate. They receive about 99% of glomerular filtrate after renal tubules reabsorb it and send it back to the blood
71
Describe the vasa recta.
follows loops of Henle in the juxtamedullary nephrons of the medulla
72
When and what causes the urge to urinate?
at about 200 ml distention of the bladder walls initiates a visceral reflex arc. This causes the detrusor muscle to contract and the internal sphincter to relax, forcing urine through and into the upper part of urethra
73
What happens if the bladder reaches 100%?
the voluntary sphincter opens, and micturition occurs involuntarily
74
What is incontinence?
the inability to control micturition voluntarily. Normal for infants. Can happen in later life with diagnoses, such as end-stage dementia. Also due to emotional trauma, pregnancy, or nervous system injuries, such as stroke or a spinal cord injury
75
What is urinary retention?
the inability to expel stored urine. Common condition after general anesthesia since detrusor muscle is slow to regain activity. Also in males can occur due to the overgrowth of the prostate gland, which narrows the urethra, making micturition difficult. Catheter must be inserted into urethra if condition persists.

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