Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed

Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

Histology of urinary system

≡ Urinary System consists of two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra

1- kidney:
• Hilus contains renal artery, renal vein, and
renal pelvis surrounded by renal sinus
• Darker outer region of kidney is cortex;
lighter inner region is medulla
• Medulla contains numerous pyramids, which
face the cortex at corticomedullary junction
• Round apex of each pyramid extends toward
renal pelvis as renal papilla
• Cortex that extends on each side of renal
pyramid constitutes the renal columns
• Each papilla is surrounded by a minor calyx
that joins to form a major calyx.

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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

• Major calyces join to form the funnel-shaped renal pelvis that narrows into the
muscular ureter
• Urine is formed as a result of blood filtration, and absorption from and excretion into
the filtrate, almost all filtrate is reabsorbed into the systemic circulation and about 1%
of filtrate is voided as urine
• Produces renin that regulates filtration pressure and erythropoietin for erythrocyte
production
Uriniferous Tubules and Nephrons
• Functional unit of kidney is uriniferous tubule,
consists of nephron and collecting duct.
• Two types of nephrons: cortical nephrons (in
cortex) and juxtamedullary nephrons (near the
junction of the cortex and medulla of the
kidney).
• Nephron is subdivided into renal corpuscle and
renal tubules.
o Renal Corpuscle
• Consists of fenestrated capillaries called
glomerulus and double-layered glomerular
(Bowman’s) capsule (parietal layer, outside and
visceral layer, inside).
• Parietal layer is lined by simple squamous
epithelium of the glomerular capsule.
• Visceral layer of capsule contains podocytes that
surround glomerular capillaries.
• Podocytes exhibit primary processes and
pedicles that form filtration slits around
capillaries
• Between parietal and visceral layers is the
capsular (urinary) space that holds glomerular
filtrate
• Blood is filtered in the glomerular capillaries of
the corpuscle to form ultrafiltrate.
• At vascular pole, afferent and efferent arterioles
enter and exit the renal corpuscle
• At opposite urinary pole, ultrafiltrate enters the
proximal convoluted tubule

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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

o Mesangial cells
In addition to podocytes that surround the capillaries, there are other specialized cells in the
glomerulus called mesangial cells. These cells are also attached to the capillaries and perform
several important functions. Mesangial cells synthesize the extracellular matrix and function as
macrophages in the intraglomerular regions and phagocytose antigen–antibody complexes and
the material that accumulate on the glomerular filter, thus preventing its clogging with filtered
matter and keeping the glomerular filter free of debris.
Some of the mesangial cells are also located outside the renal corpuscle in the vascular pole
region, between the afferent and efferent arterioles. Here, they are called the extraglomerular
mesangial cells, also called lacis cells, and form part of the juxtaglomerular apparatus.

o juxtaglomerular apparatus.
This apparatus consists of three components: the juxtaglomerular cells, the macula densa, and
the extraglomerular mesangial cells (or lacis cells). Juxtaglomerular cells are a group of
modified smooth muscle cells located in the wall of the afferent arteriole of the vascular
pole of the renal corpuscle before it penetrates the glomerular capsule to form the glomerulus.
The cytoplasm of these cells contains membrane-bound secretory granules of the enzyme
renin, which is synthesized, stored, and released into the blood stream when needed.
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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

Opposite the afferent arteriole is the macula densa, a group of modifi ed distal convoluted
tubule cells that form a dense cluster. The macula densa cells and juxtaglomerular cells are
in close proximity to each other and are separated only by a thin basement membrane. This
proximity of juxtaglomerular cells to the macula densa allows for integration of their
functions.

o Renal Tubules
• Glomerular filtrate leaves renal corpuscle and
enters renal tubules that extend to collecting
ducts.
• Initial tubule is the proximal convoluted tubule
that starts at the urinary pole of renal corpuscle.
• Loop of Henle consists of thick descending, a
thin loop, and thick ascending tubules.
• Distal convoluted tubule ascends into kidney
cortex and joins the collecting tubule.
• Juxtamedullary nephrons (a) have very long
loops of Henle.
Note: the collecting tubules (collecting ducts) are
not part of nephron, but join larger collecting ducts to
form papillary ducts
• Deep in medulla, papillary ducts are lined by
columnar epithelium and exit in area cribrosa
• Medullary rays in cortex are collecting ducts, blood
vessels, and straight portions of nephrons.

Renal Blood Supply

To understand the functional correlation of the kidney, it becomes important to understand

the blood supply of the organ. Each kidney is supplied by a renal artery that divides in the
hilus into several segmental branches, which branch into several interlobar arteries. The
interlobar arteries continue in the kidney between the pyramids toward the cortex. At the
corticomedullary junction, the interlobar arteries branch into arcuate arteries, which arch
over the base of the pyramids and give rise to interlobular arteries. These branch further

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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

into the afferent arterioles, which give rise to the capillaries in the glomeruli of renal
corpuscles. Efferent arterioles leave the renal corpuscles and form a complex peritubular
capillary network around the tubules in the cortex and long, straight capillary vessels or
vasa recta in the medulla that loops back to the corticomedullary region. The vasa recta
forms loops that are parallel to the loops of Henle. The interstitium is drained by interlobular
veins that continue toward the arcuate veins.

Blood supply to the kidney.

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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

Renal corpuscles.

(a): The renal corpuscle is a small mass of capillaries called the glomerulus housed within a bulbous
glomerular capsule. The internal lining of the capsule is composed of complex epithelial cells called
podocytes, which cover each capillary, forming filtration slits between interdigitating processes called
pedicels. Blood enters and leaves the glomerulus through the afferent and efferent arterioles respectively.
(b): The micrograph shows the major histological features of a renal corpuscle. H&E. X300. (c): Filtrate is
produced in the corpuscle when blood plasma is forced under pressure across the filtration membrane of
the glomerular capillary wall and through the filtration slits between the pedicels of podocyte processes.
(d): The SEM shows the distinctive appearance of podocytes and their processes covering glomerular
capillaries. X800

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Dijla University College Assistant lecturer: Ali Maki Hamed
Faculty of Dentistry Histology lect7 2nd grade

2- Ureter
• Lined by transitional epithelium and consists of mucosa, muscularis, and adventitia
• Upper part lined by inner longitudinal and middle circular smooth muscle layers
• Third longitudinal smooth muscle layer added in the lower third of ureter
• Connective tissue adventitia surrounds the ureter
3- Bladder
• Thick muscular wall with three indistinct layers of smooth muscle
• Serosa lines superior surface and adventitia covers the inferior surface
• Transitional epithelium in empty bladder exhibits about six layers of cells
• When stretched, transitional epithelium appears stratified squamous
• Changes in epithelium caused by thicker plasma membrane of superficial cells and
plaques
• Plaques act like hinges, allow cell to expand during stretching; cells become
squamous
• Thicker plasma membrane and transitional epithelium provide osmotic barrier to
urine