THE URINARY
SYSTEM
INTRODUCTION
Cellular metabolism produces wastes
CO2
Urea
Ammonia
Kidneys rid the body of most
nitrogenous wastes
Kidneys regulate the chemical makeup of blood
GENERAL FUNCTIONS
Serves as a blood filter
Toxins, metabolic wastes
leave the body in urine
H2O, glucose, and amino
acids are returned to blood
ORGANS OF THE URINARY SYSTEM
Kidneys (paired)
Perform filtering functions and
manufacture urine
Ureters (paired)
Transport urine
Urinary bladder (single)
Stores urine
Urethra (single)
Transports urine
EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF
THE KIDNEY
Renal capsule
Connective tissue
Renal artery
Blood (oxygenated) to the kidney
Renal vein
Receives blood from kidney
Ureter
Drains urine
INTERNAL STRUCTURE OF
THE KIDNEY
Renal cortex
Renal medulla
Renal pyramids
Renal pelvis
Continuous with ureter
Calyces
Extensions of the pelvis
Function collect urine
STRUCTURE OF THE KIDNEY
Human Anatomy, 3rd edition
Prentice Hall, 2001
BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE
KIDNEY
Approximately of the total blood
supply of the body passes through
the kidneys each minute
Renal artery branches inside the
kidney
Supplies the pyramids and the cortex
Venous blood leaves the cortex and
medulla
Small veins join the renal vein
BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE
KIDNEY
NEPHRONS AND URINE
FORMATION
Nephrons form the urine
product
Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
Each kidney contains about
1 million nephrons
STRUCTURE OF A NEPHRON
2 main structures
Glomerulus a knot of capillaries
Renal tubule (about 2 inches long)
Bowmans capsule surrounds the
glomerulus
Proximal convoluted tubule
Henles Loop
Distal convoluted tubule
Renal tubule enters collecting duct
Receives urine from nephrons
Delivers final urine product into the
calyces
A TYPICAL NEPHRON
A TYPICAL NEPHRON
RENAL CORPUSCLES
A RENAL CORPUSCLE
BLOOD SUPPLY OF THE
NEPHRON
URINE FORMATION
Filtration
Blood in afferent arteriole is under high pressure
Glomerulus acts as a filter
Filtrate = the substance that is filtered from the
blood into the renal tubule
Blood leaves the glomerulus through the efferent
arteriole
Reabsorption
Filtrate contains useful substances which are
returned to the blood
Most occurs in the proximal convoluted tubules
Secretion
Substances move from blood (capillaries) into the
filtrate
Important in controlling pH of blood
CONTROL OF BLOOD
COMPOSITION BY KIDNEYS
Excretion of nitrogen-containing compounds
Urea
Uric acid
Water and electrolyte balance
Regulated by hormones
ADH increases water reabsorption
Aldosterone increases sodium reabsorption
Second effect of aldosterone increase water
reabsorption.
Acid-base balance of blood
Blood pH must be 7.35 7.45 (very narrow range)
Tubule cells secrete whatever is necessary into
filtrate
Urine pH = 4.5 8.0
SUMMARY OF URINE FLOW
Kidneys produce urine
Filtration
Reabsorption (active transport)
Secretion
Ureters
Bladder
Urethra