Urinary System Flashcards by Beth Littlejohn

List the components of the urinary tract

Kidneys
Ureters
Bladder
Urethra

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What is the function of the urinary system?

Process plasma to excrete waste and maintain homeostasis of electrolytes, pH and blood volume

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What shaped kindeys do humans, dogs, cats, sheep, goats and rabbit have?

Kidney bean shaped

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Why are human kidneys covered in perirenal fat?

Protection from pressure, shock, trauma

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How much perirenal fat do dog and cat kidneys have?

Very little

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Which species has very little perirenal fat and visible veins running from the hilum?

Cat

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Which species has large amounts of perirenal fat?

Sheep

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What shaped kidneys do pigs have?

Dorsoventrally flattened/flat kidney bean

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Describe the shape and position of cows kidneys

Lobed kidneys marked by fissures and connective tissue.

Twisted left kidney from development, pushed towards midline by rumen

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What shapes are horses kidneys?

Left- kidney bean shaped

Right- love heart shaped

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In horses which kidney is more cranial?

Right

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Where are human kidneys positioned in the abdomen?

Posterior wall of superior abdomen between T12 and L2

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Which kidney is slightly higher in humans?

Left

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How are kidneys positioned in relation to the peritoneum?

Retroperitoneal

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What are the relations of human kidneys?

Anterior- stomach, liver, start of small intestine
Superior- adrenal glands
Inferior- quadratus lumborum and psoas major muscles
Posterior- ribs and perineal fat

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Where are domestic species kidneys typically positioned in relation to the vertebrae?

Left- L3-L4

Right- L1-L2

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Which species has kidneys on the same level?

Pigs

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Why is the left kidney of cats easier to palpate?

Less retroperitoneal so more mobile and easier to palpate

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What is the functional unit of the kidney?

Nephron

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What is the glomerulus and what does it do?

Tight capillary network to form filtrate from the blood

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Where is the bowman’s capsule found?

Surrounding the glomerulus

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Describe the role of the bowman’s capsule

Collect filtrate, produce ultrafiltrate and pass alone to proximal convoluted tubule

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Where does the ultrafiltrate drain after being formed?

Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of henle
Distal convoluted tubule
Collecting ducts

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What are renal lobes made of?

Medullary pyramid in individual cortex

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What is within the hilus?

Renal vein Renal artery Renal nerve Ureter

Why do the renal arteries arise from the aorta?

Allows filtering of huge amounts of blood

Where do the renal veins drain to?

Inferior vena cava

Why can't human kidneys expand?

Surrounded by tough fibrous capsule

What is in the renal corpuscles and where are they found?

Glomerulus, Bowman's capsule and convoluted tubules

What is in the kidneys medulla?

Loops of henle and collecting ducts | Renal pyramids and renal papillae

What is the role of renal papillae?

Where collecting ducts drain into papillary ducts

What are calyces?

Collect urine from renal papillae and drain into ureters

What is the renal sinus?

Space in centre of kidneys containing renal pelvis, fat and blood vessels

What is the renal pelvis?

Extensions of ureters into kidney

Name the type of kidneys found in different species.

Multipyramidal/multilobar Multipapillate Unipyramidal/unilobar

What type of kidney is in dolphins and ox? Explain this type of kidney.

Multipyramidal/multilobar. Cortex and medulla is divided by connective tissue. No renal pelvis as drain into individual calyces directly into ureter

What type of kidney do humans and pigs have? Explain this type of kidney

Multipapilate. | Separated medulla and calyces but fused cortex and single pelvis

What species have a unipyramidal/unilobar kidney? Explain this type of kidney.

Dogs, horses, sheep. | Fused cortex, medulla and one renal pelvis for papilla to empty into

Why do some animals have longer loops of henle?

It allows water conservation as they can concentrate urine more easily

What are ureters walls made of (muscle and epithelium type)?

Smooth muscle and urothelium/transitional epithelium

Why does urine need to be move down the ureter by peristalsis?

Bladder is at higher pressure than the kidneys

What arteries does the blood supply for ureters come from?

Renal, gonadal, common iliac and internal iliac

How does the entry of dogs ureters differ from humans?

Enter at oblique angle due to being partially in broad ligament, closely associated with uterine horns

How does the horseshoe kidney abnormality come about? Does this have any effect on function?

kidneys fuse in inferior pole. | Normal function but prone to stones

What is unilateral renal hypoplasis?

One kidney over developed and one kidney underdeveloped, possibly non-functioning

What condition is due to 2 renal pelvises per kidney?

Bifid renal pelvis

What is bifid ureters?

2 ureters per kidney

What are the stages of kidney development in the embryo?

Pronephros- develop near neck with pronephric duct Mesonephros- develops in middle of embryo, has mesonephric duct Metanephros- final kindey, develops from mesonephric duct

What is the ureteric bud in developing embryo and where does it originate?

Originates from mesonephric duct to become ureter, calyces, collecting duct and collecting tubule

What is the purpose of salt glands in marine vertebrates and birds?

Supplement kidney function to remove excess salt to prevent dehydration

What are the relations of the bladder in humans?

Anterior- pubic symphysis Superior- uterus/intestines and peritoneum Inferior and lateral- pelvic floor/prostate gland Posterior- vagina/seminal vesicles, ductus deferens and rectum

What is a vestible?

Common structure in domestic females where urethra joins the vagina

What type of muscle walls does the bladder have to allow voiding of urine under autonomic control?

Smooth detrusor muscle

What is the bladder lining made of?

Mucosa folded into rugae and lined with urothelium

What prevents urine traveling back to kidneys from bladder?

Ureters enter at oblique angle to act as spincter

What nerve supplies the external urethral sphincter? What is its function when the nerve is active on the sphincter?

Pudendal nerve contracts the sphincter when its active

What is the arterial blood supply to the bladder?

Internal iliac branching into superior and inferior caudal vesical arteries

Where does blood from the bladder drain to?

Internal iliac vein

Where is the trigone points found?

Urinary orifices and internal urethral meatus

What is the function of the trigone?

Prevent over expansion as can't distend as much as the rest of the bladder

What germ layer does the urinary tract derive from?

Endoderm

When does the cloaca develop into 3 separate tracts in the embryo?

5-6 weeks

What is the allantosis?

Part of developing urinary tract going through umbilical cord to the placenta, develops into urachus

Where does the urogenital systems develop from?

Urogenital sinus

When does the gut tube and and urogenital systems separate in the embryo?

7-8 weeks

What is the patent urachus abnormality?

Urachus doesn't close so urine also exists via umbilicus

What is urachal diverticuli?

Urachus half closes forming a pouch holding urine

What are the 3 sections of the male urethra?

Prostatic Membranous Penile

Is the bladder under autonomic or somatic control?

Autonomic

How is retrograde ejaculation prevented?

Internal urethral sphincter

What lines the urethras smooth muscle?

Urothelium transitioning to stratified squamous

What is the positioning of the cats urethra?

Backwards with right angle turn

What is the difference in positioning of female and male dogs urethra?

Males- abdominally placed, mainly straight line | Females- caudally along pelvic floor opening ventrally into vestibule

Where is the sensory bladder innervation and what are the nerves?

General visceral afferents mostly in trigone

What is the parasympathetic innervation of the bladder?

Pelvic splanchnic nerves contract detrusor muscle

What innervates the internal urethral sphincter to relax and contract?

Relax- pelvic splanchnic nerve | Contract- hypogastric nerve

What is the sympathetic innervation of the bladder?

Hypogastric nerve relaxes detrusor muscle

What causes micturition?

Visceral afferents go to sacral spine in pelvic splanchnic nerves then to brain

What are the causes of incontinence?

Overflow- urethral blockage, pressure pushes some urine out Stress- relaxed pelvic floor so abdominal pressure causes leakage Urge- oversensitive bladder when little urine present to void