Urinary System Flashcards
(114 cards)
what is the urinary system composed of?
the urinary system is compoesd of a pair of kidneys, a pair of ureters, the urinary bladder and the urethra
what is the general structure of the kidney?
the kidney is a bean-shaped organ enveloped by a thin capsule of connective tissue.
each kidney is divided into an outer cortex and an inner medulla
each kidney contains ~2 millions nephons. a nephron and a collecting tubule form a uriniferous tubule
what is the renal himum?
the renal hilum is a concavity on the medial border of the kidney. it houses arteries, veins, lymphatic vessels, nerves and the renal pelvis.
what is the renal pelvis?
the renal pelvis is a gunnel shaped expansion of th upper end of teh ureter. it is continuous with the major renal calyces, which in turn have several small branches, the minor calyces.
what does the renal medulla contain?
the renal medulla lies deep to the cortex but sends extensions (medullary rays) into the cortex.
the medulla contains the renal pyramids and renal papilla
what are renal pyramids?
renal pyramids are conical structures that compose the bulk of the renal medulla.
- each kidney contains 10-18 renal pyramids - each pyramid consists primarily of the thin limbs of loops of henle, blood vessels, and collecting tubules.
what are renal papilla?
renal papilla is located at the apex of each renal pyramid. it has a perforated tip (area cribrosa) that projects into the lumen of a minor calyx.
what does the renal cortex contain?
the renal cortex is the superficial layer of the kidney beneath the capsule. it consists primarily of renal corpuscles and convoluted tubules
also contain renal columns of Bertin and medullary rays
what are renal columns of Bertin?
they are extensions of cortical tissue between adjacent renal pyramids
what are medullary rays?
medullary rays are groups of straight tubules that extend from the base of each renal pyramid into the cortex.
what does a renal lobe consist of?
each renal lobe consists of a renal pyramid and its closely associated cortical tissue.
what does a renal lobule consist of?
a renal lobule consists of a central medullary ray and the closely associated cortical tissue on either side of it, extending as far as an interlobular artery. its many nephrons drain into the collecting tubules of the medullary ray.
what is the renal interstitium?
- when cell types are present?
the renal interstitium is the connective tissue compartment of the kidney. it consists primarily of fibroblasts and mononuclear cells.
in the medullary, it consists of two additional cell types:
- pericytes - interstitial cells
what are interstitial cells found in the kidney?
interstitial cells are found in the renal interstitium of the medulla. interstitial cells have long processes that extend toward capillaries and tubules in the medulla. these cells manufacture medullipin I, a vasodepressor hormone that is converted to medullipin II in the liver.
Medullipin II is a vasodilator that acts to reduce blood pressure.
what is medullipin II?
medullipin II is a vasodilator that acts to reduce blood pressure.
it is derived from medullipin I, a vasodepressor that has been produced by interstitial cells of the medulla of each kidney.
what does each nephron consist of?
renal corpuscle, proximal convoluted tubules, loop of henle and distal convoluted tubule.
describe the passage of filtrate from the urinary space of a renal corpuscle to the ducts of Bellini…
- bowman (urinary space) of a renal corpuscle
- proximal convoluted tubule
- loop of henle
- descending thick limb
- thin limb (loop)
- ascending thick limb - distal convoluted tubule
- cortical.medullary collecting tubules
- papillary collecting tubule (ducts of Bellini)
how are the nephrons classified?
nephrons are classified into cortial or juxatmedullary nephrons.
classification depends of location of the renal corpuscle.
juxtamedullary nephrons possess longer loops of henle than cortical and are responsible for establihing the interstitial concentration gradient in the medulla.
what does a renal corpuscle consist of?
a renal corpuscle consists of the glomerulus and the bowman capsule and is the structure on which the filtration of blood occurs.
what does the bowman capsule consist of? (5)
- parietal layer - simple squamous epithelium
- visceral layer - composed of podocytes
- bowman space - cavity between the two layers
- vascular pole - site where arterioles enter and leave
- urinary pole - site proximal convoluted tubule leaves
what does the parietal layer of the bowman capsule consist of?
the parietal layer is the simple squamous epithelium tht lines the outer wall of the bowman capsule.
what does the visceral layer of the bowman capsule consist of?
the viseral layer (glomerular epithelium) is the modified simple squamous epithelium composed of podocytes that lines the inner wall of the bowman capsule and envelopes the glomerular capillaries.
what is the space between the parietal layer and the visceral layer of the bowman capsule?
the urinary or bowman space is a narrow cavity between the two layers into which the ultrafiltrate passes.
what are the poles of a bowman capsule?
- vascular pole - the site on the bowman capsule where the afferent arterioles enters and the efferent glomerular arteriole leaves the glomerulus
- urinary pole - the site on the bowman capsule where the capsular space becomes continuous with the lumen of the proximal convoluted tubule