ACTIVITY 10: URINARY SYSTEM

Nutrients metabolized in the body produce waste products such as carbon dioxide, nitrogenous wastes,
ammonia, urea, and so on. These wastes must be eliminated from the body so that the body continues
to function normally. Several organ systems are involved in the excretion of these waste products such
as the lungs for the removal of carbon dioxide and skin glands for the excretion of excess water and salt.

Urinary system is primarily concerned with the removal of nitrogenous wastes from the body. The
urinary system is composed of two kidneys, two ureters, one urinary bladder, and one urethra.

OBJECTIVES
1. Describe the functions of the urinary system.
2. Enumerate and identify the organs that compose the urinary system.
3. Describe the general function of each organ of the urinary system.
4. Identify the basic parts of the dissected kidney.

HISTOLOGY OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

Draw and label the parts of the prepared slides (kidneys, urinary bladder, ureter, and urethra) in the
space provided in your laboratory report.

ANATOMY OF URINARY SYSTEM

1. With the help of your textbooks or the internet, examine the torso model, large anatomical chart of
the Human Urinary System to locate the following organs: right and left kidneys, right and left ureters,
renal arteries and veins, urinary bladder, and urethra.
2. Write the function of the organs of the urinary system in the table found in your laboratory report.
3. With the help of your textbooks, atlases and the internet, examine the 3-dimensional kidney model to
locate the following: renal capsule, renal cortex, renal pyramid in renal medulla, renal artery and vein,
segmental artery, interlobar artery and vein, arcuate artery and vein, and nephron. Write the
characteristics and functions of each structure in the table provided.

URINALYSIS (Virtual Activity)

1. Prepare a dry, transparent container. Collect freshly voided morning urine which is best for routine
urinalysis.
2. Label the specimen by indicating the source, the date and the time of collection.
3. Write the color, transparency, and odor of your urine sample in the table provided.
4. Secure a labstix and dip it into the urine for 2 seconds. Do not prolong the dipping, the reagents may
mix. Remove the excess urine on the edge of the urine bottle.
5. Start reading the result immediately after dipping. The reading should be done in a minute (Protein
test in 30s, pH test in 30s, Specific Gravity 45s, and Glucose test in 60s).
6. Compare the colors on the reagent areas with the corresponding color chart on the bottle of
labstix/biostix.
7. Record your result in the table provided in your laboratory report.
 LABORATORY REPORT: URINARY SYSTEM
Name: Kristine Claire F. Galacete Score: ________________________
Date Performed: ____________________________________ Lab Section: TTH 1:30-6:30 pm

HISTOLOGY OF THE ORGANS OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

Draw the prepared slides in the space provided.

Specimen: Kidney Specimen: Vessels

Total magnification: LPO Total magnification: HPO

Specimen: Renal Specimen: Bladder

Total magnification: HPO Total magnification: HPO
 Specimen: Ureter Specimen: Urethra
Total magnification: HPO Total magnification: HPO

ANATOMY OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

STRUCTURE FUNCTION
- Remove waste products and drugs from the body
Kidney - Balance the body's fluids
- Release hormones to regulate blood pressure
- Control production of red blood cells

These narrow tubes carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Muscles
Ureter in the ureter walls continually tighten and relax forcing urine downward,
away from the kidneys. If urine backs up, or is allowed to stand still, a
kidney infection can develop. About every 10 to 15 seconds, small
amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters
Supplies the kidney parenchyma with oxygenated blood, and
Renal artery simultaneously delivers the blood to be filtered by eliminating metabolic
wastes and excess water and reabsorbing minerals and nutrients.
There are two renal veins, a left and a right. They branch off the inferior
Renal vein vena cava and drain oxygen-depleted blood from the kidneys

It is held in place by ligaments that are attached to other organs and the
Urinary bladder pelvic bones. The bladder's walls relax and expand to store urine, and
contract and flatten to empty urine through the urethra. The typical
healthy adult bladder can store up to two cups of urine for two to five
hours.
This tube allows urine to pass outside the body. The brain signals the
Urethra bladder muscles to tighten, which squeezes urine out of the bladder. At
the same time, the brain signals the sphincter muscles to relax to let
urine exit the bladder through the urethra. When all the signals occur in
the correct order, normal urination occurs.

ANATOMY OF THE KIDNEY

STRUCTURE FUNCTION
Help to support the kidney mass and protect the vital tissue from injury.
Renal capsule

The cortex provides a space for arterioles and venules from

Renal cortex the renal artery and vein, as well as the glomerular capillaries, to
perfuse the nephrons of the kidney. Erythropotein, a hormone
necessary for the synthesis of new red blood cells, is also produced in
the renal cortex.
The pyramids consist mainly of tubules that transport urine from the cortical,
Renal pyramid or outer, part of the kidney, where urine is produced, to the calyces, or cup-
shaped cavities in which urine collects before it passes through the ureter to
the bladder. The point of each pyramid, called the papilla, projects into a
calyx.
 The main function of the medulla is to regulate concentration of the urine.
Renal medulla The urine flows from the collecting ducts into the renal calyces and pelvis,
which undergoes unidirectional peristaltic movements to allow drainage of
the urine into the downstream ureter and bladder.
Supplies the kidney parenchyma with oxygenated blood, and simultaneously
Renal artery delivers the blood to be filtered by eliminating metabolic wastes and excess
water and reabsorbing minerals and nutrients.

There are two renal veins, a left and a right. They branch off the inferior vena
Renal vein cava and drain oxygen-depleted blood from the kidneys.

It gives off apical, anterior superior, anterior inferior and inferior segmental

Segmented artery arteries that each supply their respective segments. Next, the segmental
arteries give off lobar branches, usually one for each renal pyramid.
These veins receive oxygen poor blood from the arcuate veins and drain it
Interlobar artery into the renal veins. Interlobar Arteries: These arteries will receive oxygen rich
blood from segmental arteries and feed it into the arcuate arteries.
The interlobar veins are veins of the renal circulation which drain
Interlobar vein the renal lobes.

These arteries feed oxygen rich blood to the cortical radiate arteries and

Arcuate artery receive oxygen rich blood from the interlobar arteries, which will receive
oxygen rich blood from the several segmental arteries, which receives oxygen
rich blood from the renal artery.
The renal artery will get its oxygen rich blood supply from the aorta. Arcuate
Arcuate vein Veins: These veins receive oxygen poor blood from the renal cortical veins and
drain it into the interlobar veins, before it exits via the renal vein.
A nephron is the basic structural and functional unit of the kidneys that
Nephron regulates water and soluble substances in the blood by filtering the blood,
reabsorbing what is needed, and excreting the rest as urine.

Draw and label the parts of the Kidney (Internet)

CRITICAL THINKING QUESTIONS:
1. Angelina is worried about the variation in the color of her urine. Sometimes her urine is pale yellow ad
sometimes it is very deep yellow. Is there really a cause of concern? Explain.
- The color of the urine indicates whether you drink water or vitamins, however, the consistency is
different than normal, as well as if there is a sting when you pee, that is when you start to worry, but
having a pale yellow and deep yellow urine is normal, as long as there is no pain or blood.

2. Moises is 84 and is in good health. However, he is recently having difficulties emptying his bladder.
What is the likely cause?
- Moises may probably have a chronic urinary retention, this may possibly the reason why he is having a
difficulty emptying his bladder, however, for assurance he must check his doctor immediately
considering his age. 

3. Domingo is hypertensive and was recently diagnosed with impaired kidney function based on
urinalysis and a blood test for creatinine. What sorts of test results would you expect, and how is
hypertension related to kidney function?
- URINALYSIS RESULT: The microscope may reveal the presence of blood cells, cells from the kidney
itself, or urine crystals that can be indicators of either kidney disease or damage to the kidney as
a result of high blood pressure.
- BLOOD TEST RESULT: Higher blood pressure than normal. 
- This is why high blood pressure (HBP or hypertension) is the second leading cause of kidney failure.
Over time, uncontrolled high blood pressure can cause arteries around the kidneys to narrow, weaken
or harden. These damaged arteries are not able to deliver enough blood to the kidney tissue