Urinary System

Question 1

Functions of the urinary system

Answer 1

Urine production, drainage, storage, and elimination
Regulation of ion balance and water content
Blood pressure stabilization - secretes renin
Elimination, excretion of toxic-end products
Maintenance of the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood via erythropoietin

Question 2

Where are all components of the urinary system located?

Answer 2

Retroperitoneal - behind the peritoneum in the abdominal and pelvic cavities

Question 3

Each kidney is capped by a ______

Answer 3

suprarenal gland (adrenal gland)

Question 4

Where do vessels and nerves enter the renal sinus of the kidney?

Answer 4

Renal hilus

Question 5

Rena medulla

Answer 5

Inner region facing the renal sinus

- includes the renal pyramids

Question 6

Renal Cortex

Answer 6

Outer region that appears granular from the tubules leading to the nephron and large number of renal corpuscles in this region

Question 7

What is considered a lobe for the kidney?

Answer 7

1 Medullary pyramid plus the overlying cortex

Question 8

Where is renal produced and where does it drain?

Answer 8

Urine is produced in the renal pyramid and drains to the tip called the renal papilla
- then it drains into the minor calyx, then major calyx, and lastly into the enlarged renal pelvis

Question 9

What is the enlarged renal pelvis?

Answer 9

The expanded upper portion of the ureter

Question 10

What structure transports the urine to the bladder?

Answer 10

The ureter

Question 11

What makes up a major calyx?

Answer 11

2+ pyramids

Question 12

What is the basic functional and structural unit of the kidney?

Answer 12

The nephron

- 1 million per kidney

Question 13

What are the functions of the nephron?

Answer 13

Filtration
Excretion
Absorption

Question 14

What are the components of the nephron components?

Answer 14

Renal corpuscle

Renal Tubule - contains a fluid called tubular fluid (pre-mature urine)

Question 15

What is the renal corpuscle composed of?

Answer 15

glomerular capillary called the glomerulus

- it’s surrounded by the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule

Question 16

Where are the renal corpuscle and proximal convoluted tubule located?

Answer 16

In the Cortex

Question 17

Is the collecting duct considered part of the nephron?

Answer 17

No

Question 18

Where does the glomerular capillary (glomerulus) arise from?

Answer 18

From the afferent arteriole

- leaves the renal corpuscle as an efferent arteriole

Question 19

How does blood enter the kidney?

Answer 19

Via the renal artery

- branches into segmental arteries once inside the hilus of the kidney

Question 20

What do the renal arteries branch into?

Answer 20

Interlobar arteries

- pass between the medullary pyramids

Question 21

Where do the interlobar arteries branch into the arcuate arteries?

Answer 21

At the border between medullary pyramid and cortex

- corticomedullary junction

Question 22

What give rise to the interlobar arteries?

Answer 22

Arcuate arteries

Question 23

What do the interlobar arteries divide into?

Answer 23

Into the afferent arterioles

Question 24

What is the purpose of the afferent arterioles?

Answer 24

to bring waste-laden blood into the glomerulus where it is filtered

Question 25

How does filtered blood leave the glomerulus?

Answer 25

Through the efferent arteriole

Question 26

What do the efferent arterioles form?

Answer 26

A secondary network of peritubular capillaries

Question 27

What is the function of the glomerular capillaries?

Answer 27

Extra-efficient filtering

Question 28

What is the function of the peritubular capillaries?

Answer 28

They surround the tubular system of the nephron and function in resorbing up to 99% of the fluid lost in the glomerulus but leaves the waste in the urine

Question 29

What is the macula densa?

Answer 29

Tightly packed cells in the wall of the ascending loop of Henle - sense changes to the blood volume and sends a chemical signal to the juxtaglomerular cells

Question 30

What do the juxtaglomerular cells do?

Answer 30

Secrete renin which increases water retention

Question 31

What is the vascular pole of the renal corpuscle?

Answer 31

Where the afferent and efferent arteriole enter and leave the renal corpuscle

Question 32

What is the urinary pole of the renal corpuscle?

Answer 32

Where the urinary filtrate that enters the filtration space within bowman's capsule, leaves to enter the tubular portion of the nephron via the proximal convoluted tubule

Question 33

What layer covers the portions of Bowman's capsule that forms the outer wall?

Answer 33

Parietal layer of Bowman's capsule

Question 34

What layer covers the glomerular capillary?

Answer 34

Visceral layer of Bowman's capsule | - becomes podocytes

Question 35

What is the structure of podocytes?

Answer 35

They have many processes that interdigitate with adjacent podocyte processes and completely cover the outside of the glomerular capillary

Question 36

What is the filtration slit?

Answer 36

The space between the adjacent podocyte processes

Question 37

What is the filtration barrier?

Answer 37

Where anything filtered from the fenestrated capillary of the glomerulus must cross the fused basement membranes of the podocyte and the cells of the glomerular capillary

Question 38

What are the three main processes that form urine?

Answer 38

1. Glomerular filtration 2. Tubular reabsorption 3. Tubular secretion

Question 39

Where does tubular reabsorption occur?

Answer 39

proximal convoluted tubule | - cells here have dense brush borders that increase surface area

Question 40

What is tubular secretion?

Answer 40

A process where substances are transported from the peritubular capillary into the renal tubule and excreted in the urine.

Question 41

What is the overall path of urine elimination?

Answer 41

1. Nephron 2. Collecting Duct 3. Renal Papilla 4. Minor Calyx 5. Major Calyx 6. Renal Pelvis 7. Ureters - transport 8. Bladder 9. Urethra

Question 42

Ureters characteristics

Answer 42

Lined by transitional epithelium | - composed of 3 layers: mucosa, muscular, and fibrous coat

Question 43

What is the mucosa made of?

Answer 43

Transitional epithelium

Question 44

What is the muscular layer of the ureter?

Answer 44

inner = longitudinal, outer = circular | - helps to move urine towards the urinary bladder using peristaltic waves

Question 45

What is the fibrous coat of the ureter?

Answer 45

Outer layer of CT that binds it to surrounding tissues

Question 46

Where are kidney stones formed?

Answer 46

The pelvis of the ureter

Question 47

What are the four layers of the urinary bladder?

Answer 47

Deep to superficial 1. Mucosa - transitional epithelium 2. Submucosa - elastic CT 3. Muscular layer - smooth muscle, forms of the detrusor muscle 4. Serosa/adventitia - parietal peritoneum on the upper wall with fibrous CT on the rest

Question 48

How does micturition (urination) occur?

Answer 48

Contraction of the detrusor muscle, abdominal wall, pelvic floor, and diaphragm - internal sphincter must relax (involuntary) - external urethral sphincter must also relax (Voluntary)

Question 49

How do male and female urethra differ?

Answer 49

In length - male is much longer - female is easier for infection