Urinary Tract Anatomy

Question 1

Are the kidneys retroperitoneal?

Answer 1

Yes

Question 2

What are the average dimensions of an adult kidney?

Answer 2

6cm wide and 11cm long

Question 3

What structure within the kidney does fluid travel through before entering the renal pelvis as urine? (starting from renal pyramid)

Answer 3

Renal pyramid-> renal papilla-> minor calyx-> major calyx-> renal pelvis

Question 4

What are the different parts of the nephron?

Answer 4

Glomerulus and bowmans capsule, proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule and collecting duct

Question 5

What are the two types of nephrons found in the kidneys and what is the difference between them?

Answer 5

Cortical and juxtomedullary. Juxtomedullary have longer loop of Henle which extend further down into the medulla of the kidney, cortical stay within the cortex

Question 6

What is the function of the glomerulus?

Answer 6

Produce a protein-free filtrate from blood

Question 7

What are the proportions of cortical to juxtomedullary nephrons?

Answer 7

85% cortical, 15% juxtomedullary

Question 8

What are two cell types seen in the distal tubule?

Answer 8

Intercalated and principal cells

Question 9

Which cells in the distal tubule respond to ADH?

Answer 9

Principal cells

Question 10

How much of total cardiac output do the kidney receive?

Answer 10

20%

Question 11

At what level do the renal arteries branch of the aorta?

Answer 11

L1

Question 12

Which renal artery is longer?

Answer 12

The right as it has to pass across the IVC

Question 13

How do the renal arteries branch to supply the kidney?

Answer 13

Renal artery-> segmental->interlobar-> arcuate-> interlobular-> afferent arterioles

Question 14

Which arterioles do the vasa recta form from?

Answer 14

The efferent arteriole

Question 15

Which renal vein is longer?

Answer 15

The left is longer as it has to pass anterior to the abdominal aorta

Question 16

What specialised cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus secrete renin and where are they found?

Answer 16

Granular cells- found in the tunica media of the afferent arteriole

Question 17

Which cells of the juxtaglomerular apparatus detect changes in Na+ concentration in the filtrate?

Answer 17

Macula densa cells

Question 18

What are the 4 functions of the kidney?

Answer 18

Excretion, regulation, endocrine (synthesis of renin, EPO), metabolism (activation of VitD)

Question 19

At what vertebral levels are the kidneys located?

Answer 19

Between T12 and L3 vertebrae with hilum at around L1

Question 20

Moving outwards from the renal capsule what layers of tissue surround the kidney?

Answer 20

Renal capsule-> perirenal fat-> renal fascia-> pararenal fat

Question 21

Which sits most anteriorly, the renal veins or renal arteries?

Answer 21

Renal veins

Question 22

How do the ureters enter the bladder?

Answer 22

Posteriorly

Question 23

What epithelium type lines the ureters?

Answer 23

Transitional

Question 24

What are at the 3 points of the trig one of the bladder?

Answer 24

The two ureteric openings and the internal urethral meatus

Question 25

What is different about the trigone compared to the rest of the bladder wall?

Answer 25

It’s smooth, doesn’t contain any rugae

Question 26

What type of muscle form the internal urethral sphincter?

Answer 26

Smooth muscle

Question 27

What type of muscle forms the external urethral sphincter?

Answer 27

Skeletal muscle

Question 28

How does sympathetic stimulation of bladder prevent micturition?

Answer 28

Inhibits destructor muscle contraction and stimulates the external urethral sphincter to contract

Question 29

What are the different sections of the male urethra called?

Answer 29

Prostatic urethra, membranous urethra and spongy urethra