11.Urinary System

Urinary System
Basic Principles of Renal

Physiology
Structure of Urinary System
• The Kidney, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.
• Blood enters each kidney via the renal artery.

• Blood leaves each kidney via the renal vein.
• Urine exits the kidney through a duct; ureter.
• The ureters of both kidneys drain into a common
urinary bladder.
• During urination, urine leaves the body from urinary
bladder through urethra.
Urinary System: Contribution to
Homeostasis
• Regulates body water levels
– Excess taken in is excreted
– Output varies from 2-1/2 liter/day to 1 liter/hour
• Regulates nitrogenous and other solute
waste
– Nitrogen from amino acids made into urea as
waste
– Others: sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium,
hydrogen ions, creatinine
Functions of the Kidneys
The process of generating glucose

from noncarbohydrate precursors
Kidneys Structure
• The mammalian kidneys have two distinct regions:
 Renal cortex.
 Renal medulla.
• The functional unit of the vertebrate kidney is
nephron.
 Each nephron consists of a glomerulus, or capillary cluster,
surrounded by Bowman's capsule; a proximal tubule; a loop
of Henle; and a distal tubule.
 Several nephrons empty into each collecting duct, which
drains into the renal pelvis.
• The nephrons, collecting duct, and associated blood
vessels produce urine from a filtrate (water and small
solutes) forced by blood pressure into Bowman's
capsule from the glomerulus.
Formation of Urine
1. Glomerular
filtration refers to
the movement of
fluid and solutes
from the
glomerular
capillaries into
Bowman’s space.
2. Tubular secretion
refers to the
secretion of
solutes from the
peritubular
capillaries into the
tubules.
3. Tubular reabsorption refers to the movement of materials
from the filtrate in the tubules into the peritubular
capillaries.
From blood filtrate to urine:
1. Filtration of the blood:
• Filtration occurs as blood pressure forces

water, urea, salts, and other small solutes from
the blood in the glomerulus into the lumen of
Bowman‫׳‬s capsule.
2. Pathway of the filtrate:
• The proximal tubule:

Plays an important role in homeostasis by its
controlled secretion and reabsorption of several
substances.
About two-thirds of the NaCI and water filtered from
blood into the nephron tubule are reabsorbed
across the epithelium of the proximal tubule.
This region also functions in the reabsorption of
nutrients and in controlling pH by the secretion of
H+ and the reabsorption of HCO3.
• The descending limb of the loop of Henle:

Is permeable to water but not to salt.
Osmotic loss of water from the filtrate, as the
descending limb penetrates the renal medulla,
concentrates NaCI in the filtrate.
• The ascending limb of the loop of Henle:

Consists of a thin segment and a thick segment.
Both have epithelia that are virtually impermeable
to water.
The thin segment is permeable to NaCI, and the
salt that was concentrated in the filtrate within the
descending limb now diffuses out of the ascending
limb, contributing to a high interstitial osmolarity in
the inner medulla of the kidney.
The thick segment continues the transfer of salt by
active transport from the filtrate to the interstitial
fluid.
• The distal tubule:

It controlled secretion and reabsorption.
It helps regulate blood pH by the reabsorption of
bicarbonate (HCO3-), a buffer.
The distal tubule also functions in K + and Na+
homeostasis.
• Collecting duct:
The specialized epithelium of the collecting duct is
permeable to water but not to salt.
The duct carries the filtrate toward the renal
medulla and the filtrate becomes more and more
concentrated as water is lost to the interstitial fluid.
The bottom portion of the collecting duct is
permeable to urea, and leakage of this solute into
the interstitial fluid contributes to the high osmolarity
of the medulla.
Urinary Bladder
 Smooth, collapsible, muscular sac
 Temporarily stores urine
Kidney’s Role in Homeostasis
• Maintains water balance: adjusts blood
volume and blood pressure
• Aldosterone help maintain salt balance in
order to control blood volume
• Maintains acid-base balance and blood pH
• Regulates red blood cell production via
erythropoietin
• Activates an inactive form of vitamin D
Hormonal Control of the Kidney
Antidiuritic
hormone
Juxtaglomerular apparatus (tissue)
Peptide function
as a hormone
Plasma protein

11.Urinary System

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Urinary System

Basic Principles of Renal

• The Kidney, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.

• Blood enters each kidney via the renal artery.

The process of generating glucose

• Filtration occurs as blood pressure forces

• The proximal tubule:

• The descending limb of the loop of Henle:

• The ascending limb of the loop of Henle:

• The distal tubule:

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