URINARY SYSTEM
Urinary system is important in excreting wastes and
plays important role in maintaining homeostasis of
water and electrolyte.
Urinary system consist of 2 kidney which produce
urine,2 ureters carry urine from kidney to urinary
bladder.
Bladder collects and stored urine before it is
excreted through urethra.
KIDNEYS
Kidney lies on the posterior abdominal wall,one on
each side of the vertebral column,below the
diaphragm and behind the peritoneum they are
retroperitoneal.
They Extend from the level of 12 th thoracic
vertebra to 3 rd lumbar vertebra receiving
protection from rib cage.
Right kidney is slightly lower than the left due to the
considerable space occupied by liver
Kidneys are bean shaped organs about 11 cm long ,6
cm wide and 3 cm thick,they weigh around 150 g.
Organs associated with kidneys
Right kidney
Superiorly : right adrenal gland
Anteriorly : right lobe of liver,duodenum,
Posteriorly : diaphragm
Left kidney
superiorly : left adrenal gland
Anteriorly : spleen,stomach,pancreas,
Posteriorly : diaphragm
Gross structure
. Layers of kidneys
Outer layer : fibrous capsule enclosing kidney
Cortex, reddish brown layer immediately below capsule
Medulla : innermost layer it consisting of pale conical
shaped shaped renal pyramids each pyramid has a pointed
proximal end called papillary
Hilum : it is the concave medial border of the kidney where
renal blood lymph vessels the ureter and nerves enter and
leave.
Urine formed in the kidney passes through one of
several openings in a renal papilla in to the
drainage system that begins at a minor calyx
several minor calyces merge in to a major calyx
and two or three major calyces combine forming
renal pelvis.
Renal pelvis is a hollow funnel shaped structure that
narrows when it leaves the kidney as the ureter.
The walls of the calyces and renal pelvis are lined
with transitional epithelium and contain smooth
muscle.
Intrinsic contraction of smooth muscle ,propel urine
through the calyces,renal pelvis and ureter to bladder.
Blood supply
Arterial supply is by renal artery branch of abdominal
aorta,it deliver 20% of cardiac output to kidneys.
Venous drainage is by renal vein,
Microscopic structure of kidney
Kidney contain 1_2 million Functional
unit,called nephrons,and much smaller number
of collecting ducts.Collecting duct transport
urine through the pyramid to the calyces.
THE NEPHRON
Nephron is essentially a tubule that is closed at one end and open in
to a collecting duct at other end.
The closed end form a cup shaped structure called glomerular
capsule or Bowman's capsule which completely encloses a coiled
tuft of capillaries called glomerulus .
The remainder of glomerular capsule is about 3 cm long tubule that
described in 3 parts,
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of henle
Distal convoluted tube leading to collecting duct
After entering the kidney at hilum renal artery divides in
to smaller Arteries and Arterioles.
From Renal artery Afferent arterioles enter the
glomerular capsule.Where it forms cluster of tiny blood
vessels called glomerulus.
Blood leaves the glomerulus in the efferent arterioles.
Afferent arterioles has a larger diameter than efferent
arterioles which increases blood pressure inside the
Glomerular arterioles.
The Efferent arterioles divides in to peritubular capillary
network which wrap around the remainder of nephron.
This supplies the tissue oxygen and nutrients and remove
waste products.
Venous blood drained from this capillary bed eventually
leave the kidney in the renal vein, which emptied in to
inferior venacava
The walls of glomerulus and glomerular capsule consist of
single layer of highly permeable epithelial cells to facilitate
filtration.
FUNCTIONS OF NEPHRONS
1, Formation of urine
2, Regulation of water and electrolyte balance.
3, Regulation of Acid - base balance
Formation of urine
Urine is Produced in the kidneys Through a process of
Filtration
Reabsorption
Secretion
FILTRATION
Filtration takes place through the semipermeable walls of
glomerular capillaries and glomerular capsule.
It is guided by pressure difference in the renal corpuscle.
Water and small molecules readily pass through the blood in to
glomerular capsule ( Filtrate), but the plasma proteins and blood
cells are too large to be filtered through the glomerulus and
which therefore remain in the blood.
The Efferent arterioles are narrower than the Afferent arterioles So
the capillary hydrostatic pressure(outwards pressure) of 55 mmhg
is build up in the glomerulus.
This pressure is opposed by osmotic pressure of blood by plasma
proteins about 30 mmHg,and hydrostatic pressure of filtrate about
15 mmHg. These 2 are inward pressure
The net filtration pressure is
55 _(30+15) = 10 mmHg downward pressure
Fluid filtered from blood is called glomerular filtrate or ultra filtrate
Volume of filtrate formed by both kidneys each minute is called
glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
In a healthy adult GFR is about 125ml/mt ie, 180 litree of filtrate are
formed each day by 2 kidneys.
Autoregulation
Renal flow is maintained at a constant pressure Across a
wide range of systolic blood pressure, and the renal blood
flow and glomerular filtration is protected by
Autoregulation.
The systolic blood pressure fluctuate Significantly by daily
activities but glomerular blood pressure Controlled
independently therefore renal blood flow controlled locally.It
is helped by smooth muscle and mesangial cells.
It operat independently of nervous Control.
For example In sternous activities when blood pressure
rises,autoregulation constrict Afferent arterioles to protect
The delicate glomerular capillaries And enable kidney to
maintain constant blood flow through glomerulus.
In severe shock When systolic blood pressure falls below 80
mmhg autoregulation fails,renal blood flow and hydrostatic
pressure decreases And impairing the filtration in the
glimerulus And cause irreversible damage to Kidney.
Tubular reabsorption
Reabsorption from the filtrate back in to blood takes place at the
proximal convoluted tubule,whose epithelial lining posses
microvilli to increase surface area for absorption. Many
substances are reabsorbed here Including water electrolytes and
nutrients including glucose and amino acids.
Some reabsorption is passive But some substances Such as
glucose are actively transported against concentration gradient.
Sodium and chloride are absorbed both passive and active way.
60_ 70 % of filtrate reaches the Loop of henle,
Then further reabsorption takes place in loop ,
especially of water sodium and chloride.
Only 15_ 20% of the original filtrate reaches the distal
convoluted tubule
More electrolytes are reabsorbed especially sodium so
the filtrate entering collecting duct became quit dilute.
The main function of collecting duct is to reabsorb as
much as water for meeting body needs
Glucose and some constituents of filtrate do not normally
appears in the urine because completely reabsorbed.
Reabsorption of nitrogenous waste products are very
limited.
Kidneys maximum capacity for Reabsorption of a
substance is called renal threshold.
Renal threshold of some substances varies according to
body needs.it can be influenced by some hormones,
Parathyroid hormone : reabsorption of calcium and phophate
to maintain normal blood level.
Antidiuretic hormone : it increases the permeability of distal
convoluted tubule And collecting duct to water and increase
water reabsorption.
Aldosterone : increase the permeability of sodium and water
And excretion of pottassium.
Atrialnatriuretic peptide : This hormone secreted by atria of
heart in response to atrial stretch when blood volume increase.
This in turn induces secretion of ANP which decreases the
reabsorption of water and sodium from the PCT and collecting
duct and increase the Urine output.
SECRETION
Some unwanted substances May not be entirely filtered Out of
the blood For example some drugs such substances are cleard From
the blood in to filtrate by secretion from the peritubular capillaries In
the convoluted tubule also the secretion of hydrogen ions Is
important in maintaining blood ph.
Composition of urine
Urine is clear and Amber in Colour due to the presence of
Pigmented substance urobilin.
Urobilinogen pigmented substance produce by hemolysis,kidney
convert this product to urobilin.
Urine ph _ 4.5 _ 8
Urine specific gravity _ 1.010_1.020
Urine volume _ 1000 _ 1500 per day
NORMAL CONSTITUENTS OF URINE
.Water _ 96%
Urea _ 2 %
Remaining 2 % is by ,
Uric acid
Creatine
Ammonia
Sodium
Pottassium
Chloride
Phosphate
Sulphate
Oxalate
