URINARY SYSTEM
Urinary System
● Composed of the
following organs:
− Paired Kidneys
− Ureters
− Urinary Bladder and;
− Urethra
Function of the Kidneys
● Excretion of metabolic waste products
through urine formation (including drug metabolites)
● Regulation of water and electrolytes
● Lack of Sodium = reabsorbs sodium through
aldosterone
● Lack of water = reabsorbs water through Antidiuretic
hormone
Function of the Kidneys
● Acid base balance
● Acidic blood= release hydrogen into urine
● Basic blood = release bicarbonate in the urine
Function of the Kidneys
● Secretion of erythropoietin
● Increases red cell production in the bone marrow
● Very sensitive to anemia because it receives almost
20% of the cardiac output
Erythropoietin
Function of the Kidneys
● Activation of Vitamin D
● Produced by the skin inactive and requires two
hydroxylation steps, one in liver and one in kidney
Activation of Vitamin D
Function of the Kidneys
● Secretion of renin in response to low blood
pressure
● Renin is produced by the juxtamedullary apparatus
● Renin cleaves angiotensin I
● Angiotensin I is converted into angiotensin II in the
lungs
Kidney
● Has a convex lateral side.
● Has a concave medial border
called HILUM
● where nerves enter and ureter
exits; where blood and lymph
vessels enter and exits.
● Each side is covered by
capsule
Kidney
● At the hilum, the ureter
expands as the RENAL
PELVIS and divides into 2-3
MAJOR CALYCES.
● Smaller branches called
MINOR CALYCES arise from
the major calyces
Kidney
Kidney
● Outer/darker cortex and
Inner Medulla
● Inner medulla contains 8-15
conical structures called
RENAL PYRAMIDS
Kidney
Kidney
● At the base of each pyramid,
lies the corticomedullary
junction
● Pyramids are separated by
the extensions of the renal
cortex called RENAL
COLUMN
Kidney
Kidney
● Each pyramid and renal column along its side
comprises one RENAL LOBE
● Tip of the pyramid that projects into the minor
calyces are called RENAL PAPILLA
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
Kidney
● Functional unit:
NEPHRONS
● 1-4 million in number/kidney
− Major Segments
● Glomerulus/Renal corpuscle
● Proximal Convoluted Tubule
● Loop of Henle
− Descending limb
− Ascending limb
● Distal Convoluted Tubule
Cortex versus Medulla
Nephron
● Glomerulus + Bowman’s
capsule= Renal Corpuscle
● Dilated part
● Tuft of capillary loops
● Site of filtration of blood
● CORTEX
● Proximal tubule
● long convoluted tube
● CORTEX
Nephron
● Loop of Henle – Medulla
● Distal tubule- ascending
part from loop of Henle
into the cortex
Nephron
● Connecting tubules
merge together to form
the COLLECTING DUCTS
● Collecting ducts
converge into the renal
papilla then into the
minor calyx
Nephron Functions
Filtration
● Large molecular
weight substances
such as proteins and
cells are not
filtered!!
Nephron Function
Tubular Reabsorption
● Glucose, salts, water
which are readily filtered
is brought back to the
peritubular capillaries
Nephron Function
Tubular Secretion
Toxic drug metabolites
and hydrogen are
transferred from blood
to tubules
Blood circulation of the Kidney
Renal artery
Segmental artery
Lobar artery
Interlobar artery
Arcuate artery
Interlobular artery
Afferent arterioles
Blood circulation of the Kidney
Blood circulation of the Kidney
QUESTION
• the arcuate artery arises from what
artery
• the arcuate artery gives rise to which
renal vessel
• the interlobular arteries arises from
which artery
• interlobublar artery gives rise to which
renal vessel
From the interlobular
arteries, afferent
arterioles enter to
the glomerulus for
filtration
Leaves as the efferent
arterioles
Note: Efferent is
smaller than Afferent
arterioles
To produce hydrostatic
pressure and to
enhance filtration
Note: Efferent is smaller than Afferent
arteriole→ To produce hydrostatic
pressure and to enhance filtration
Peritubular capillaries
surround the proximal
and distal tubules
Vasa recta
surrounds the loop of
Henle
Peritubular capillaries
reabsorbs water, ions
and nutrients from the
filtrate back to the
bloodstream
Vasa recta
Critical in maintaining
medullary osmotic
gradient
Renal corpuscle and filtration
● Contains tuft of capillaries surrounded by a double-walled
epithelial capsule called the Bowmans capsule.
● Has a vascular pole and tubular pole
Layers of the Bowman’s capsule
● Internal visceral layer closely envelops the capillaries
● Outer parietal layer forms the capsule
● Between the two layers is the capsular/urinary space
Renal corpuscle and filtration
● Parietal outer layer of capsule is lined by simple squamous.
● Inner visceral layer: composed of specialized epithelial cells→ podocytes
● At tubular pole, the lining epithelium changes to simple cuboidal.
VISCERAL LAYER- PODOCYTES
● Visceral layer forms the stellate-shaped podocytes
● From the body of the podocytes, several primary processes
extend and curve around the capillary forming the secondary
processed called pedicels (foot process) with filtration slits in
between them
Slit diaphragm
Spans two adjacent
pedicels and
bridges slit pores
Modified tight
junctions
Process of filtration
3 Components of Filtration Apparatus in
the Glomerulus
1. Fenestrated
Capillaries
2. Basement
membranes
3. Podocytes
3 Components of Filtration Apparatus in
the Glomerulus
• Fenestrated
capillary – allow
non cellular
elements to be
filtered
• Restricts all
blood cells
Layers of the Glomerulus
Basement
membrane
• -continuous layer
which does not
allows substance
above 65,000kDa
to be filtered
• restricts large
proteins
Layers of the Glomerulus
• Podocytes with
filtration slits does
not allow other
small proteins to
pass through
• Thus urine must
have no protein
Proximal Convoluted tubule
Proximal Convoluted Tubule
• Starts from the tubular pole of the renal corpuscle
• Lined by simple cuboidal epithelium with microvilli
and dark stained cytoplasm (abundant
mitochondria)
• Fills up the cortex
• Tubular reabsorption and secretion
– Almost half of water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins and salts are
reabsorbed back into the blood in the PCT through active transport
Proximal Convoluted Tubule
• Cells are well-stained; with numerous
mitochondria, and long microvilli
• Dark pink cytoplasm because of numerous
mitochondria
Loop of Henle
• U-shaped structure with thin descending and thin
and thick ascending limb (TAL)
• Thin descending limb: Lined by simple
squamous epithelium
• TAL is lined by simple cuboidal
• Situated in the hyperosmolar medulla
Loop of Henle
Descending Limb
● Permeable to water
● water is reabsorbed into the surrounding
interstitial fluid, concentrating the filtrate.
Ascending Limb
● Impermeable to water
● Actively transports ions ([Link] & Cl) out of
the filtrate→ helps generate an osmotic
gradient in the kidney's medulla→ crucial
for the kidney's ability to concentrate
urine.
Distal convoluted tubule
Lined by simple cuboidal epithelium
Less absorption and secretion than in PCT
Cells are smaller and no microvilli (more nuclei
can be seen)
Macula Densa
Straight part of the DCT (macula densa) comes in
contact with the arterioles at the vascular pole of
the renal corpuscle (juxtaglomerular granular cells
cells)
= JUXTAGLOMERULAR cells = RENIN
Collecting Ducts
• Each nephron has
connecting tubules which
carry filtrate into collecting
ducts
• Simple cuboidal
epithelium
Collecting Ducts
At the apex of the pyramid, the
papillary duct of Bellini is
formed.
Papillary ducts drain urine
into the minor calyx
Collecting Ducts
PRINCIPAL CELLS
Principal cells = pale staining
cells, few organelles, sparse
microvilli and unusually distinct
cell boundaries
Final site of water reabsorption
Responds to the ADH released
from the posterior pituitary
gland
Expresses aquaporin channels
Collecting Ducts
Intercalated cells
– darkly stained cells
interspersed within
principal cells
Secrete Hydrogen or
Bicarbonate ions
Ureter and Urinary Bladder
Transports urine from renal pelvis to the urinary bladder where
urine is temporary stored.
Lined by Transitional epithelium or Urothelium
• Single layer of basal cells
• Intermediate region of several or more columnar cells
• Superficial layer of bulbous cells called umbrella cells
• Uninucleated or binucleated
Tight Junction in umbrella cells
Detrusor muscles
URETER
● Longitudinally folded
mucosa
● Transitional epithelium
● Lamina propia
● Thick muscularis layer
URETER
The circular layer
runs around the
lumen while the
longitudinal layer
runs along the
length of the
ureter.
Urethra
Tube that carries the urine from the urinary
bladder to the exterior
In males, has three portion
1. Prostatic urethra
2. Membranous urethra
3. Spongy urethra
Urethra
Tube that carries the urine from the urinary
bladder to the exterior
Prostatic urethra
Transitional epithelium
Urethra
Tube that carries the urine from the
urinary bladder to the exterior
Membranous urethra
Pseudostratified columnar
Urethra
Tube that carries the urine from the
urinary bladder to the exterior
Spongy urethra
Pseudostratified columnar to
Stratified squamous
END OF LECTURE
QUIZ?