Urinary system

Kidneys

 It is a bean-shaped, highly vascular organs.

 Each kidney consists of three regions:
 Renal cortex (outer region)
 Renal medulla (middle region)
 Renal pelvis (inner region)

Filtering station…..

 The renal cortex, the outer region,

 contains blood-filtering mechanisms
 and is protected by a fibrous capsule and layers of fats.

Renal wonder…..

 The middle region of the kidney

 contains 8-12renal pyramids – striated wedges
 that are compose mostly of tubular structures.
 The tapered portion of each of pyramids
 empties into a cupcake calyx.
 These calyces channel formed urine from the
 pyramids into the renal pelvis
Keeping kidneys safe…..

Kidneys are protected in front by the muscles attached to the vertebral column.

Adrenal influence…..

• On the top of each kidney lies an adrenal gland.

• These glands are affected by the release of renin from the

kidneys and, in turn affect the renal system by influencing
blood pressure as well as sodium and water retention in
the kidneys

No shortage of blood…..

• Each kidney is supplied with blood by the renal

artery, which subdivided into several branches when
it enters the kidney. The kidney is highly vascular
receiving about 20% of the blood pumped by the
heart each minute.

Functions of Kidneys:

 Elimination of wastes and excess ions (in the form of urine)

 Blood filtration (by regulating chemical composition and blood volume)
 Maintenance of fluid-electrolyte and acid-base balances
 Production and release of renin to promote angiotensin II activation and aldosterone production
in the adrenal gland
 Conversion of vitamin D to a more active form

The nephron…..

Within the kidney, nephron serves as the basic structural and functional unit

The nephrons perform two main functions:

 Mechanically filtrating fluids, wastes, electrolytes, acids, and bases into the tubular system

 Selectively reabsorbing and secreting ions, allowing precise control of fluid and electrolyte
balance.
  Each nephron consists of a tubular apparatus
called the glomerulus as well as collecting duct. The glomerulus is located inside a glomerulus
capsule, or Bowman’s capsule and consists of a cluster of capillaries.

 The nephron is divided into three portions:

1. nearest the glomerular capsule is the proximal convoluted tubule.

2. The second portion, the loop of Henle, has an ascending and descending limb.

3. The third portion, the one farthest from the glomerular capsule, is the distal convoluted tubule.
Its distal end joins the far ends of neighboring nephrons, forming a larger collecting tubule

Positively loopy…..

 The glomeruli, proximal and distal tubules of the

nephron are located in the renal cortex.

 The long loops of Henle, together with their

accompanying blood vessels and collecting
tubules, from the renal pyramids in the medulla.

 By the time the filtrate enters the descending limb of the loop of
Henle, its water content has been reduced by 70%.
 At this point, the filtrate contains a high concentration of salt,
chiefly sodium.
 As the filter moves deeper into the medulla and the loop of
Henle, osmosis draws even more water into the extracellular
spaces, further concentrating the filter.
  After the filtrate enters the ascending limb, it concentration is readjusted by the transport of
ions intro the tubule. This transport continues until the filtrate enters the distal convoluted
tubule.

Ureters

• The ureters are fibromuscular tubes that connect each

kidney to the bladder. Because the left kidney is higher than
the right kidney, left ureter is usually slightly longer than the
right ureter

Riding the waves…..

• The ureters act as conduits that carry urine from the kidneys
to the bladder.

• Peristalsis waves occurring one to five times each minute

channel urine along the ureters toward the bladder

Bladder

• It is a hollow, sphere-shaped,
• muscular organ in the pelvis.
• It lies anterior and inferior to the pelvic cavity and posterior
to the symphysis pubis.
• If the amount of stored urine exceeds bladder capacity, the
bladder distends above the symphysis pubis

Good things come in threes…

 The base of the bladder contains three openings that form

a triangular area are called the trigone.
 Two of the openings connect the bladder to the ureters
 the third connects the bladder to the urethra
A matter of reflex…..

• Urination results from the involuntary (reflex) and voluntary (learned) processes.

• When urine fills the bladder, parasympathetic nerve fibers in the bladder wall cause the bladder
to contract and the internal sphincter to relax.

• The cerebrum, in a voluntary reaction, then causes the external sphincter to relax and urination
to begin.

• This is called the micturition reflex.

Urethra

It is a small duct that channels urine from the bladder to the outside
of the body.

Female connection

• In the female, the urethra is embedded in the anterior wall of the

vagina behind the symphysis pubis.
• The urethra connects the bladder with an external opening, or
urethral meatus, located anterior to the vaginal opening.
Male extension

• In the male, the urethra passes vertically through the prostate gland
and then extends through the urogenital diaphragm and penis.
• The male urethra serves as the passage way of semen as well as
urine

Urine formation….

• One of the main functions of the urinary system.

• Urine formation results from three processes that occurs in the nephrons:

 glomerular filtration

 tubular reabsorption

 tubular secretion

A mine of minerals…..

• normal urine consists of

• water, sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfate, phosphate bicarbonates, uric
acid, ammonium ions, creatinine, and urobilinogen.
• When a person is taking drugs that are normal excreted in urine.

Kidneys in charge…..

• The kidneys can vary the amount of the substance reabsorbed and secreted in the nephrons,
changing the composition of excreted urine.

Controlling the flow….

• Total daily urine output averages 720-2400 ml

• varying with fluid intake and climate.
• For example, after drinking a lot volume of fluid, a person’s urine output increasing as the body
rapidly excretes excess water.
• If the person restricts or decrease water intake or ingest excessive amounts of sodium, urine
output decreases as the body retains water to restore normal fluid concentration.

Hormones and the Urinary system

• Major role of hormones in urinary system:

– Helping the body to manage tubular reabsorption and secretion.
– Hormones affecting the urinary system include:
 Antidiuretic hormone
 Angiotensin I
 Angiotensin II
 Aldosterone
 Erythropoietin
• Antidiuretic hormones (ADH)
o It regulates the amount of output. High levels of ADH increase water absorption and
urine concentration whereas lower levels of ADH decrease water absorption.
• Renin-angiotensin system
o Is an enzymes secrete by the kidneys and circulated in the blood. It has no effect in
blood pressure but it leads to the formation of the hormone called angiotensin I

The best defense the primarily question ….

o The primary function of this of the renin-angiotensin system is to serve as a defense
mechanism, maintaining blood pressure in situation such as hemorrhage and extreme
sodium depletion. Low blood pressure and low levels of sodium depletion.

• Aldosterone
o 2nd effect of renin-angiotensin system is even more potent.
o It acts on the adrenal gland

BP assist…..

o Aldosterone is produced by the adrenal cortex it facilitates tubular reabsorption by

regulating sodium retention and helping to control potassium secretion by epithelial
cells in the tubules. When serum potassium levels rise, the adrenal cortex responds by
increasing aldosterone secretion. This, in turn causes sodium retention, thereby raising
blood pressure.

• Erythropoietin
o The kidneys secrete the hormone erythropoietin in response to low arterial oxygen
tension.
o The hormone travels to the bone marrow, where it stimulates increased RBC production
A balancing act….
o The kidneys also regulates calcium and phosphorus balance by filtering and reabsorbing
approximately half of unbound serum calcium. In addition, kidneys active vitamin D 3a
compound that promotes intestinal calcium absorption and regulates phosphate
excretion.

smdv//dlsl.con//2023