Urinary Anatomy

Question 1

What are the major organs of the urinary system?

Answer 1

• kidneys
• ureters
• urinary bladder
• urethra

Question 2

kidneys

Answer 2

major excretory organs, create urine

Question 3

ureters

Answer 3

transport urine from kidneys to bladder

Question 4

urinary bladder

Answer 4

temporarily stores urine

Question 5

urethra

Answer 5

transports urine out of the body

Question 6

how do kidneys maintain homeostasis

Answer 6

• regulate total water volume and total solute concentration
• regulate ion concentrations in extracellular fluid
• ensuring long term acid base balance
• excreting metabolic wastes, toxins, drugs
• produces erythopoietin and renin
• activates vitamin D
• carries out gluconeogenesis

Question 7

renin

Answer 7

regulates blood pressure

Question 8

erythropeitin

Answer 8

regulate RBC function

Question 9

renal hilum

Answer 9

point of entrance/exit for ureters, blood vessels, lymphatics, nerves

Question 10

3 layers surrounding the kidney

Answer 10

• renal fascia
• perirenal fat capsule
• fibrous/renal capsule

Question 11

most superficial layer

Answer 11

renal fascia

Question 12

most deepest layer

Answer 12

fibrous/renal capsule

Question 13

renal ptosis

Answer 13

condition in which 1 or both kidneys drop to a lower position

Question 14

how is renal ptosis caused

Answer 14

caused by loss of surrounding fatty tissue – likely with emaciation or rapid weight loss
- can lead to kink in the ureter and back up of urine into the kidney

Question 15

hydropnephrosis

Answer 15

backup of urine into the kidney because of ureteral obstruction or infection
- can cause kidney damage, tissue death, renal failure

Question 16

pyelonephritis

Answer 16

inflammation or infection of the kidney

Question 17

dialysis

Answer 17

process of removing waste and extra fluid from the body when the kidneys are unable to

Question 18

how is urine created

Answer 18

in the nephrons and drains continuously through the renal papillae

Question 19

path of urine flow

Answer 19

• renal pyramid
• minor calyx
• major calyx
• renal pelvis
• ureter

Question 20

order of arterial blood flow into the kidney

Answer 20

• aorta
• renal artery
• segmental artery
• interlobar artery
• arcuate artery
• cortical radiate artery

Question 21

order of venous blood flow out of the kidney

Answer 21

• cortical radiate vein
• arcuate vein
• interlobar vein
• renal vein
• inferior vena cava

Question 22

nephron

Answer 22

structural + functional unit of the kidney, forms urine

Question 23

2 parts of the renal corpuscle

Answer 23

• glomerulus
• glomerular/bowman’s capsule

Question 24

glomerulus

Answer 24

tuft of capillaries composed of fenestrated endothelium - highly porous, allows for efficient formation of filtrate

Question 25

parietal layer of glomerular capsule

Answer 25

simple squamous epithelium

Question 26

visceral layer of glomerular capsule

Answer 26

clings to the glomerular capillaries, contains branching epithelial called called podocytes

Question 27

function of podocytes

Answer 27

terminate in foot processes

Question 28

3 parts of the renal tubule

Answer 28

- proximal convoluted tubule - nephron loop - distal convoluted tubule

Question 29

descending limb of nephron loop

Answer 29

proximal part is continuous with PCT; distal part is the descending thin limb (simple squamous epithelium)

Question 30

ascending limb of nephron loop

Answer 30

typically thicker, cuboidal + columnar cells

Question 31

proximal convoluted tubule

Answer 31

cuboidal cells with dense microvilli that form a brush border - increased surface area - large mitochondria

Question 32

function of proximal convoluted tubule

Answer 32

reabsorption of water + solutes and secretion of substances - confined to renal cortex

Question 33

distal convoluted tubule

Answer 33

cuboidal cells with very few microvilli

Question 34

functions of distal convoluted tubule

Answer 34

in secretion, less reabsorption - confined to renal cortex

Question 35

collecting ducts

Answer 35

run side by side through the medullary pyramids and receive filtrate from many different nephrons

Question 36

fused collecting ducts become

Answer 36

collecting ducts fuse together to deliver urine through the renal papillae to the minor calyces

Question 37

2 cells within the collecting duct

Answer 37

- principal cells - intercalated cells

Question 38

principal cells

Answer 38

more plentiful, sparse, short microvilli, maintain the body's water/Na+ balance

Question 39

intercalated cells

Answer 39

cuboidal cells with abundant microvilli; exist in types A and B - both help maintain the acid-base balance of blood

Question 40

two categories of nephrons

Answer 40

- cotrical nephrons - juxtamedullary nephrons

Question 41

cortical nephrons

Answer 41

- 85% - almost entirely in the cortex

Question 42

juxtamedullary nephrons

Answer 42

- 15% - originate near the cortex-medulla junction - have long nephron loops that deeply invade the renal medulla - important for the production of concentrated urine

Question 43

nephron capillary bed (glomerulus)

Answer 43

produces filtrate

Question 44

nephronc capillary bed (peritubular capillaries)

Answer 44

reclaim/reabsorb most of that filtrate

Question 45

the glomerulus (pressure)

Answer 45

the afferent arteriole is larger than the efferent arteriole so blood pressure in the glomerulus is high -- increased filtration ...

Question 46

peritubular capillaries (pressure)

Answer 46

lower-pressure, porous capillaries adapted for reabsorption of water and solutes from the filtrate within the renal tubule ...

Question 47

juxtaglomerular complex

Answer 47

region where the most distal portion of the ascending limb of the nephron loop lies against the afferent arteriole feeding the glomerulus - each nephron has one JGC - important in regulating the rate of filtrate formation and systemic blood pressure

Question 48

3 cell population of JGC

Answer 48

- macula densa - granular cells - extraglomerular mesangial cells

Question 49

macula densa

Answer 49

- tall, closely packed cells in the ascending limb of the nephron loop - chemoreceptors that sense the NaCi content of filtrate entering the DCT

Question 50

granular cells

Answer 50

- enlarged, smooth muscle cells in the afferent arteriole wall - act as mechanoreceptors to sense blood pressure in the afferent arteriole - contain secretory granules for the enzyme renin

Question 51

extraglomerular mesangial cells

Answer 51

- located between the arteriole and tubule cells - interconnected by gap junctions - may pass regulatory signals between macula densa and granular cells