Unit 4

The Urinary System

 Functions of the Urinary System

 Elimination of waste products

 Nitrogenous wastes
 Toxins
 Drugs

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 Functions of the Urinary System

 Regulate aspects of homeostasis

 Water balance
 Electrolytes
 Acid-base balance in the blood
 Blood pressure
 Red blood cell production
 Activation of vitamin D

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 Organs of the Urinary system

 Kidneys
 Ureters
 Urinary bladder
 Urethra

Figure 15.1a
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 Location of the Kidneys

 Against the dorsal body wall

 At the level of T12 to L3
 The right kidney is slightly lower than
the left
 Attached to ureters, renal blood vessels,
and nerves at renal hilus
 Atop each kidney is an adrenal gland
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 Coverings of the Kidneys

 Renal capsule
 Surrounds each kidney
 Adipose capsule
 Surrounds the kidney
 Provides protection to the kidney
 Helps keep the kidney in its correct location

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 Regions of the Kidney

 Renal cortex –
outer region
 Renal medulla –
inside the cortex
 Renal pelvis –
inner collecting
tube

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 Kidney Structures

 Medullary pyramids – triangular regions

of tissue in the medulla
 Renal columns – extensions of cortex-
like material inward
 Calyces – cup-shaped structures that
funnel urine towards the renal pelvis

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 Blood Flow in the Kidneys

Figure 15.2c

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 Nephrons

 The structural and functional units of the

kidneys
 Responsible for forming urine
 Main structures of the nephrons
 Glomerulus
 Renal tubule

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 Glomerulus
 A specialized
capillary bed
 Attached to
arterioles on both
sides (maintains
high pressure)
 Large afferent
arteriole
 Narrow efferent
arteriole Figure 15.3c

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Glomerulus

 The glomerulus
sits within a
glomerular capsule
(the first part of the
renal tubule)

Figure 15.3c

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 Renal Tubule
 Glomerular
(Bowman’s)
capsule
 Proximal
convoluted
tubule
 Loop of Henle
 Distal
convoluted
tubule
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 Types of Nephrons
 Cortical nephrons
 Located entirely in the cortex
 Includes most nephrons

Figure 15.3a
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 Types of Nephrons
 Juxtamedullary nephrons
 Found at the boundary of the cortex and
medulla

Figure 15.3a
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 Peritubular Capillaries

 Arise from efferent arteriole of the

glomerulus
 Normal, low pressure capillaries
 Attached to a venule
 Cling close to the renal tubule
 Reabsorb (reclaim) some substances
from collecting tubes
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 Urine Formation Processes

 Filtration
 Reabsorption
 Secretion

Figure 15.4

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 Filtration

 Nonselective passive process

 Water and solutes smaller than proteins
are forced through capillary walls
 Blood cells cannot pass out to the
capillaries
 Filtrate is collected in the glomerular
capsule and leaves via the renal tubule
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 Reabsorption
 The peritubular capillaries reabsorb several
materials
 Some water
 Glucose
 Amino acids
 Ions
 Some reabsorption is passive, most is active
 Most reabsorption occurs in the proximal
convoluted tubule
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 Materials Not Reabsorbed

 Nitrogenous waste products

 Urea
 Uric acid
 Creatinine
 Excess water

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 Secretion – Reabsorption in
Reverse
 Some materials move from the
peritubular capillaries into the renal
tubules
 Hydrogen and potassium ions
 Creatinine
 Materials left in the renal tubule move
toward the ureter
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 Formation of Urine

Figure 15.5
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 Ureters

 Slender tubes attaching the kidney to

the bladder
 Continuous with the renal pelvis
 Enter the posterior aspect of the bladder
 Runs behind the peritoneum
 Peristalsis aids gravity in urine transport

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 Urinary Bladder
 Smooth, collapsible, muscular sac
 Temporarily stores urine

Figure 15.6
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 Urinary Bladder
 Trigone – three openings
 Two from the ureters
 One to the urethrea

Figure 15.6
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 Urinary Bladder Wall

 Three layers of smooth muscle

(detrusor muscle)
 Mucosa made of transitional epithelium
 Walls are thick and folded in an empty
bladder
 Bladder can expand significantly without
increasing internal pressure
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 Urethra

 Thin-walled tube that carries urine from

the bladder to the outside of the body by
peristalsis
 Release of urine is controlled by two
sphincters
 Internal urethral sphincter (involuntary)
 External urethral sphincter (voluntary)

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 Urethra Gender Differences

 Length
 Females – 3–4 cm (1 inch)
 Males – 20 cm (8 inches)
 Location
 Females – along wall of the vagina
 Males – through the prostate and penis

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 Urethra Gender Differences

 Function
 Females – only carries urine
 Males – carries urine and is a passageway
for sperm cells

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 Micturition (Voiding)

 Both sphincter muscles must open to

allow voiding
 The internal urethral sphincter is relaxed
after stretching of the bladder
 Activation is from an impulse sent to the
spinal cord and then back via the pelvic
splanchnic nerves
 The external urethral sphincter must be
voluntarily relaxed
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 Maintaining Water Balance
 Normal amount of water in the human
body
 Young adult females – 50%
 Young adult males – 60%
 Babies – 75%
 Old age – 45%
 Water is necessary for many body
functions and levels must be maintained
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 Distribution of Body Fluid

 Intracellular fluid
(inside cells)
 Extracellular fluid
(outside cells)
 Interstitial fluid
 Blood plasma

Figure 15.7

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The Link Between Water and Salt

 Changes in electrolyte balance causes

water to move from one compartment to
another
 Alters blood volume and blood pressure
 Can impair the activity of cells

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 Maintaining Water Balance
 Water intake must equal water output
 Sources for water intake
 Ingested foods and fluids
 Water produced from metabolic processes
 Sources for water output
 Vaporization out of the lungs
 Lost in perspiration
 Leaves the body in the feces
 Urine production
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 Maintaining Water Balance

 Dilute urine is produced if water intake

is excessive
 Less urine (concentrated) is produced if
large amounts of water are lost
 Proper concentrations of various
electrolytes must be present

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Regulation of Water and Electrolyte
Reabsorption
 Regulation is primarily by hormones
 Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) prevents
excessive water loss in urine
 Aldosterone regulates sodium ion content of
extracellular fluid
 Triggered by the rennin-angiotensin
mechanism
 Cells in the kidneys and hypothalamus
are active monitors
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 Maintaining Acid-Base Balance in
Blood

 Blood pH must remain between 7.35

and 7.45 to maintain homeostasis
 Alkalosis – pH above 7.45
 Acidosis – pH below 7.35
 Most ions originate as byproducts of
cellular metabolism

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 Maintaining Acid-Base Balance in
Blood

 Most acid-base balance is maintained

by the kidneys
 Other acid-base controlling systems
 Blood buffers
 Respiration

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 Blood Buffers
 Molecules react to prevent dramatic
changes in hydrogen ion (H+)
concentrations
 Bind to H+ when pH drops
 Release H+ when pH rises
 Three major chemical buffer systems
 Bicarbonate buffer system
 Phosphate buffer system
 Protein buffer system
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 The Bicarbonate Buffer System

 Mixture of carbonic acid (H2CO3) and

sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3)

 Bicarbonate ions (HCO 3 ) react with

–

strong acids to change them to weak

acids
 Carbonic acid dissociates in the presence
of a strong base to form a weak base and
water Slide
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 Respiratory System Controls of
Acid-Base Balance
 Carbon dioxide in the blood is converted to
bicarbonate ion and transported in the
plasma
 Increases in hydrogen ion concentration
produces more carbonic acid
 Excess hydrogen ion can be blown off with
the release of carbon dioxide from the lungs
 Respiratory rate can rise and fall depending
on changing blood pH
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 Renal Mechanisms of Acid-Base
Balance

 Excrete bicarbonate ions if needed

 Conserve or generate new bicarbonate
ions if needed
 Urine pH varies from 4.5 to 8.0

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 Developmental Aspects of the
Urinary System

 Functional kidneys are developed by the

third month
 Urinary system of a newborn
 Bladder is small
 Urine cannot be concentrated

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 Developmental Aspects of the
Urinary System

 Control of the voluntary urethral

sphincter does not start until age 18
months
 Urinary infections are the only common
problems before old age

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 Aging and the Urinary System

 There is a progressive decline in urinary

function
 The bladder shrinks with aging
 Urinary retention is common in males

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