Urinary system recap Flashcards
What is the renal cortex?
A superficial smooth textures reddish area of the kidney
What is a BUN test?
Blood Urea Nitrogen (blood test)
What is the renal medulla?
It consists of 8-10 cone shaped areas called renal pyramids. The apex of each pyramid opens into a minor calyx.
What is the renal pelvis?
A large urine-collecting space occupies that inner region. The pelvis branches into cuplike structures called major and minor calyces.
How much resting cardiac output do the kidneys receive and through which arteries?
20-25% of the resting cardiac output. Via the right and left renal arteries.
In adults what is the renal blood flow through both kidneys?
About 1200ml/min
Where does filtration of the blood occur in the kidneys?
In the glomeruli of the nephrons
What are nephrons?
The functional units of the kidneys.
What are the two parts of a nephron?
Renal corpuscle (where blood plasma is filtered)
Renal tubule (a passage for the filtered fluids)
What does each renal corpuscle consist of?
Glomerulus ( a capillary network ) and the Bowmans capsule (a double walled epithelial cup)
What is the Juxtaglomerular Complex?
Located next to the afferent and efferent arterioles it measures blood pressure.
Macula densa cells measure blood pressure and sodium concentration along with the juxtaglomerular
apparatus.
It also stimulates renin to be released by the juxtaglomerular cells if blood pressure falls.
How does the kidney control blood pressure?
Through the renin/angiotensin/aldosterone system.
By controlling NaCl levels in the blood and water volume of the blood.
What is the passage way for urine output?
From collecting ducts, urine drains through papillary ducts into the minor calyces, which join to become major calyces which in turn unite to form the
renal pelvis.
From the renal pelvis, urine first drains into ureters and then into the urinary bladder.
Urine is then discharged from the body
through the single urethra.
How long is the female urethra vs the male urethra?
Female - 4cm long and 6mm in diameter.
Male - 20 cm
What is a GFR test?
Glomerular filtration rate (blood test)
