The Urinary System

Block IV

Urinary System
Kidney Function Blood Supply Urine Production Nephrons
Renal corpuscle

Ureters Bladder Urethra Micturition

Introduction
The kidneys are perfect examples of homeostatic organs Maintain constancy of fluids in our internal environment Filter 200 liters of fluid a day Remove toxins, metabolic wastes, and excess ions to leave the body in urine Return needed substances to the blood A primary organ of excretion

Kidney Functions
Kidneys regulate volume and chemical makeup of the blood Maintain the proper balance between water and salts as well as between acids and bases Gluconeogenesis - supply glucose during fasting Produce enzyme renin which helps regulate blood pressure and kidney function Produce hormone erythropoietin which stimulates red blood cell production

Blood Supply
The kidney continuously cleanse the blood and adjust its composition Kidneys possess an extensive blood supply Under normal resting conditions, the renal arteries deliver approximately one-fourth of the total systemic cardiac output (1200 ml) to the kidneys each minute

Mechanisms of Urine Production

The uriniferous tubule produces urine through three interacting mechanisms
Filtration Reabsorption Secretion

Mechanisms of Urine Production

In filtration a filtrate of the blood leaves the kidney capillaries and enters the nephron This filtrate resembles tissue fluid in that it contains all the small molecules of blood plasma

Mechanisms of Urine Production

As filtrate proceeds through the uriniferous tubule, the filtrate is processed into urine by the mechanisms of reabsorption and secretion

Mechanisms of Urine Production

During reabsorption, most of the nutrients, water, and essential ions are reclaimed from the filtrate, and returned to the blood of capillaries in the surrounding connective tissue 99% of the volume of renal filtrate is reabsorbed

Mechanisms of Urine Production

As the essential molecules are reclaimed from the filtrate, the remaining wastes and needed substances contribute to the urine that ultimately leaves the body A passive process

Mechanisms of Urine Production

Secretion is an active process which moves undesirable molecules into the tubule from the blood of surrounding capillaries

Nephrons
Each kidney contains over 1 million tiny blood processing units called nephrons, which carry out the processes that form urine In addition, there are thousands of collecting ducts, each of which collects urine from several nephrons and conveys it to the renal pelvis

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The first part of the nephron, where the filtration occur, is the spherical renal corpuscle

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

Renal corpuscles consist of a tuft of capillaries called a glomerulus surrounded by a cup shaped, hollow glomerular capsule (Bowmans capsule)

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The glomerulus lies in the glomerular capsule like an under inflated ballon This tuft of capillaries is supplied by an afferent arteriole and drained by an efferent arteriole

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The endothelium of the capillaries in the glomerulus is fenestrated (pores) and thus these capillaries are highly porous, allowing large quantities of fluid and small molecules to pass from the capillary blood

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The fluid passes from the capillary into the hollow interior of the glomerular capsule, the capsular space This fluid is the filtrate that is ultimately processed into urine 20% enters the space while 80% remains in the blood within the capillary

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The external parietal layer of the glomerular capsule, which is simple squamous epithelium, simply contributes to the structure of the capsule It plays no part in the formation of filtrate

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The capsules visceral layer clings to the glomerulus and consists of unusual, branching epithelial cells called podocytes

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The podocytes have many branches which end in foot processes or pedicels The processes inter digitate with one another as they surround the glomerular capillaries The filtrate passes through the thin filtration slits into the capsular space

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The external parietal layer of the glomerular capsule, which is simple squamous epithelium, simply contributes to the structure of the capsule It plays no part in the formation of filtrate

Nephron - Renal Corpuscle

The external parietal layer of the glomerular capsule, which is simple squamous epithelium, simply contributes to the structure of the capsule It plays no part in the formation of filtrate

Nephron
Each nephron consists of a glomerulus, a tuft of capillaries associated with a renal tubule The end of the renal tubule is a blind, enlarged, and cupshaped and completely surround the glomerulus
Glomerulus

Nephron
The glomerulus endothelium is fenestrated, (penetrated by many pores), which make these capillaries exceptionally porous The capillaries allow large amounts of solute-rich, virtually protein free fluid to pass from the blood into the glomerulus capsule This plasma-derived fluid or filtrate is the raw material that is processed by the renal tubules to form urine

Nephron

Nephron
The external parietal layer of the glomerular capsule is simple squamous epithelium This layers contributes to the structure of the capsule and plays no part in forming filtrate The visceral layer that clings to the glomerulus consists of highly modified, branching epithelial cells called podocytes

Nephrons
The filtration membrane is the actual filter that lies between the blood and the interior of the glomerular capsule It is a porous membrane that allows free passage of water and solutes

Nephrons
It is a porous membrane that allows free passage of water and solutes smaller that plasma proteins The capillary pores prevent passage of blood cells, but plasma components are allowed to pass

Nephron
Once filtered out of the plasma the urine enters the collecting duct Urine passes into larger ducts until it reaches the ureters It leaves the kidneys and moves toward the bladder in the ureters
Glomerulus

Ureters
Histologically, the walls of the ureter is trilayered
An inner layer of transitional epithelium lines the inner mucosa The middle muscularis layer is composed of a an inner longitudinal layer and an outer circular layer The outer layer is composed of fibrous connective tissue

Ureters
The ureters play an active role in transporting urine Distension of the ureters by incoming urine stimulates the muscularis layer to contract, which propels the urine into the bladder The strength and frequency of peristaltic waves are adjusted to the rate of urine formation

Urinary Bladder
The bladder wall has three layers
A mucosa containing transitional epithelium A thick muscular layers A fibrous adventitia

The muscle layer consists of smooth muscle arranged inner and outer longitudinal layers Collectively the muscle layer is called the detrusor muscle (literally to thrust out)

Urinary Bladder
The bladder is very distensible and uniquely suited for its function of urine storage It can expand for storage or collapse when empty Empty its walls are thick and thrown into folds (rugae) As it expands it becomes pear shaped and rises in the abdominal cavity

Urinary Bladder
The bladder can store more than 300 ml or urine without a significant increase in internal pressure A moderately full bladder holds approximately 500 ml and can about 1000 ml at capacity Urine is held in the bladder until release is convenient

Urethra
The epithelium of its mucosal lining is mostly pseudostratified columnar epithelium Near the bladder it is transitional epithelium and near its external opening it changes to a protective squamous epithelium

Urethra
At the bladder-urethra junction a thickening of the detrusor muscle forms the internal sphincter This voluntary sphincter keeps the urethra closed when urine is not being passed A second sphincter, the external urethral sphincter, surrounds the urethra and is composed of skeletal muscle and thus is under voluntary control

Urethra
The levator ani muscle of the pelvic floor also serves as a voluntary constrictor of the urethra The length and functions of the urethra differ in the two sexes In females the urethra is 3-4 cm long and is tightly bound to the anterior vaginal wall by fibrous connective tissue

Urethra
The male urethra has two basic functions
It carries urine out of the body It carries semen into the female reproductive tract

Micturition
Micturition, also called voiding or urination, is the act of emptying the bladder Ordinarily, as urine accumulates, distension of the bladder walls activates stretch receptors Impulses are transmitted via visceral afferent fibers to the sacral region of the spinal cord

Micturition
Spinal reflexes
Initiate increased sympathetic outflow to the bladder that inhibits the detursor muscle and internal sphincter (temporarily) Stimulate contraction of the external urethral sphincter

When about 200 ml of urine has accumulated, afferent impulses are transmitted to the brain, at this point one feels the urge to void their bladder

Micturition
Contractions of the bladder become both more frequent and urgent with time If the time is convenient to empty the bladder voiding reflexes are initiated Visceral afferent impulses activate the micturition center of the dorsolateral pons Acting as an on/off switch for urination, this center signals the parasympathetic neurons to stimulate contraction of the detrusor muscle and relaxation of sphincters

Micturition
When one chooses not to void, reflex bladder contractions subside within a minute or so and urine continue to accumulate Because the external sphincter (and the levator ani) is voluntarily controlled, we can choose to keep it closed and postpone bladder emptying temporarily The urge to void eventually becomes irresistible and micturition occurs