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Histology 13 – Urinary System Dr. Fadhil H. Ahmed
Urinary system
it consists of two bean-shaped kidneys which are attached to the posterior abdominal
wall, one on each side of the vertebral column. Each kidney empties into its own
ureter, which delivers urine into a single bladder for storage. The bladder empties
into a single urethra.
kidney
• The main function of the kidney is to maintain the ion balance and water content
of the blood (osmoregulation) by:
• Filtration of the blood
• Excretion of waste metabolic
products
• Reabsorption of small molecules
(glucose, amino acids, peptides),
ions, and water.
• In addition, the kidney regulates blood
pressure and acts as an endocrine organ
(Renin).
• The kidney contains about 1 million
functional units called nephrons.
Filtration, excretion, and absorption take
place in the nephron
• The kidney contains an outer cortex and an inner medulla. These are divided up
into lobes that have a pyramidal shape, in which the outer portion contains the
cortex, and the inner portion, the medulla.
• The cortex has a granular appearance because it contains large numbers of ovoid
filtration units called (renal corpuscles).
• The medulla has a striated appearance,
because it is full of ducts and tubules
(Renal tubules) and does not contain
any renal corpuscles.
Nephron
• Nephron is the structural and functional
unit of the kidney.
• Each nephron consists of the following:
a) Renal corpuscle: It consists of
Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus.
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Histology 13 – Urinary System Dr. Fadhil H. Ahmed
b) Renal tubule: The tubule consists of a proximal convoluted tubule (PC), a loop
of Henle and a distal convoluted tubule (DC).
• Major part (renal corpuscles) of a nephron is located in the cortex and 2nd part
(Renal tubules) present in the medulla.
Renal Corpuscle
The ‘blind’ ending of the proximal region of the nephron encapsulates a mass of
glomerular capillaries. These are seen as ovoid structures in the cortex. Blood is
filtered by the renal corpuscles.
The renal corpuscle consists of: -
1- Bowman’s capsule encapsulates the corpuscle. It consists of an outer layer of
squamous epithelium (the parietal layer) and an inner (visceral) layer of
epithelium that contains specialized cells called podocytes.
2- Glomerulus. Blood enters and
leaves the corpuscle via arterioles.
Smooth muscle cells lining the
afferent and efferent arterioles
maintain a relatively high pressure
along the length of the glomerular
capillaries. Filtration occurs due to
the following structure: -
1. Fenestrations (pores) in
the glomerular capillaries,
50– 100 nm wide.
2. The thick basement membrane of the capillaries, and adjacent epithelial
cells. This contains a negatively charged proteoglycan (heparan
sulphate), which restricts the sizes of proteins that can move across it.
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Histology 13 – Urinary System Dr. Fadhil H. Ahmed
It also prevents positively charged proteins (e.g., albumin) from passing
across, due to its negative charge.
3. Filtration slits, 20 – 30 nm wide, produced by the visceral epithelial cells
(podocytes). Podocytes project many branching ‘foot’ processes onto
the basement membrane, which interdigitate with those from other
podocytes to form the filtration slits. The relatively high pressure in the
capillaries, and their fenestrated structure, generates large quantities
of glomerular filtrate. This passes out of Bowman’s space into the renal
tubule. Mesangial cells, found between capillaries, are similar to
pericytes and are both contractile and phagocytic. They provide support
for the capillaries, turnover the basal lamina, and help to regulate blood
flow in the corpuscle.
Juxtaglomerular apparatus
• It contains the macula densa, juxtaglomerular cells, and extraglomerular
mesangial cells.
• The macula densa contains specialized epithelial cells in the initial portion of the
DCT adjacent to the renal corpuscle. They are narrower, and their nuclei are closely
spaced. They monitor the concentration of sodium and chloride ions in the filtrate,
and effect release of renin by the juxtaglomerular cells.
• Juxtaglomerular cells are modified smooth muscle cells in the afferent arteriole.
They monitor blood pressure and secrete renin, which converts circulating blood
angiotensinogen to angiotensin I. Angiotensin I is converted to angiotensin II by
angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE).
• Angiotensin II increases smooth muscle contractility, which constricts blood vessels
and thereby increases blood pressure.