Urinary System Flashcards
(8 cards)
What are the parts and functions of the urinary system?
The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra. Its functions include filtering blood, removing waste, regulating blood volume and pressure, and maintaining electrolyte balance.
The kidneys filter blood to produce urine, which is stored in the bladder before being excreted through the urethra.
What is the macroscopic structure of the kidney?
The macroscopic structure of the kidney includes the renal cortex, renal medulla, renal pelvis, and nephrons.
The renal cortex is the outer layer, while the renal medulla contains the renal pyramids. The renal pelvis collects urine before it moves to the ureters.
What is the microscopic structure of the kidney?
The microscopic structure of the kidney consists of nephrons, which include the renal corpuscle and renal tubules.
Nephrons are the functional units of the kidney responsible for urine formation.
What are the 3 processes in urine formation?
The three processes in urine formation are filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.
Filtration occurs in the glomerulus, reabsorption occurs in the renal tubules, and secretion involves the transfer of substances from blood to urine.
How is the kidney involved with regulating water-salt and acid-base balance of blood?
The kidney regulates water-salt balance by adjusting the amount of water and sodium reabsorbed or excreted, and it maintains acid-base balance by excreting hydrogen ions and reabsorbing bicarbonate.
This regulation is vital for maintaining homeostasis in the body.
What are the common disorders of the kidney?
Common disorders of the kidney include chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, kidney stones, and urinary tract infections.
Each of these disorders can significantly impact kidney function and overall health.
How can kidney failure be treated?
Kidney failure can be treated with dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Dialysis artificially removes waste from the blood, while transplantation involves replacing the failed kidney with a healthy one from a donor.
How is the kidney involved with maintaining homeostasis along with other body systems?
The kidney maintains homeostasis by regulating fluid balance, electrolyte levels, and blood pH, working in conjunction with the endocrine and cardiovascular systems.
Hormones such as aldosterone and antidiuretic hormone influence kidney function to help maintain overall body equilibrium.
