Kidney, Entire - MCO0087

Unilobar kidney
cortex
(in rat or rabbit)

medulla

papilla
apex
Minor calyx
-”V-shaped hole”
-“drains one pyramid Renal papillae
and has one papilla
projecting into it”
-NOTE: two or three
minor calyces drain into
a major calyx; several
form one large cavity
called renal pelvis,
which narows to form
ureter
p. 60, manual
 Cortical nephrons – Pathway of blood
80% of nephrons flow:
-Renal artery
-Segmental
arteries
-Interlobar
(between lobes)
-Arcuate
Juxtamedullary
nephrons (NOTE:
formed
embryologically
before cortical
nephrons) Arcuate vessels – at
corticomedullary junction
Arcuate
vein
 Cortex (5x)

Renal (Bowman’s)
corpuscles consist of:
-parietal layer of
Bowman’s
(glomerular) capsule
-Bowman’s space
-visceral layer of
Bowman’s capsule Renal Corpuscles
a.k.a. Bowman’s
-glomerulus
corpuscles (in
cortex, not in
medulla)
 Bowman’s glomerulus
space – has
glomerular
filtrate

Parietal layer of Bowman’s

capsule is simple
squamous
 Cortical
labyrinth
-simple cuboidal
epith.

Urinary pole – opposite

the vascular pole;
“where the proximal
Vascular pole convoluted tubule
originates and drains
– has efferent and
Bowman’s space”
afferent arterioles;
these “form the
glomerulus by coiling
into a tangled network
of capillaries”
-appears fused to
side of renal
corpuscle
p. 61
 (i) Proximal convoluted tubule
-lumen is obscured by brush border
-basal striations in base of epithelial cells (p. 61)

(ii) Distal convoluted tubule

-has large distinct lumen
-fewer striations

Both prox. and distal have cuboidal epithelium

Macula densa
(part of the distal
convoluted tuble
located where it
Distal
touches glomerulus) conv.
tubule
-in contact with
juxtaglomerular (JG)
cells of the afferent
arteriole (JG cells Prox. Conv.
are modified smooth Tubule (can
muscle cells) see brush
-macula densa cells border in
tell JG cells to lumen)
secrete renin
-cannot differentiate
betw. JG cells and
mesangial cells

Lumen of an arteriole
(afferent or efferent)
Collecting tubule
(collecting duct)
-cuboidal epith. cell
– can see membrane in
between each epithelial
cell (Diagnostic)
-ADH affects collecting
duct

Arrows point to
peritubular capillary
network
 Renal papilla (high mag)
Collecting duct – Descending (or
can see ascending) part of
membrane in Loop of Henle –
between cells simple squamous
epith.

Interstitial cells
where?
-secrete aldosterone
(increase reabsorp.
of sodium in distal
tubule)
RBCs in vasa recta
 Thin (simple
Thick squamous) Thick vs. thin
(cuboidal walls of Loop of
epith.) Outer medulla (high mag) Henle (p. 62)

NOTE: Collecting ducts present but

more numerous towards papilla
UW070 – Entire kidney (low mag)
 Cortical lobules
Interlobular
Cortical lobule =
Medullary ray (in center of arteries
lobule) + cortical labyrinth

Cortical labyrinth (a.k.a.

surrounding labyrinth) –
“dark staining material
containing numerous
sections of convoluted
tubules and renal
corpuscles” p. 59

Medullary rays –
“separate adjacent
regions of cortical
labyrinth and contain the
straight portions of the
cortical nephrons and
some collecting ducts”;
lighter staining due to “thin
walls with a reduced
amount of cytoplasm” p.
59
Medullary ray
Cortical labyrinth (straight
portion)
Proximal tubule
(obscure lumen)

Distal tubule (distinct

lumen)
 vein

Interlobular
artery
MCO004

Mitochondria stain black – “the

proximal convoluted tubules will
be the darkest staining due to
the numerous basal
mitochondria forming the basal
striation” –p. 63
 Ureter – UW112

Classic “star-shaped” lumen

-p. 63
 Dome shaped cells on
free surface

Transitional
epithelium
Outer circumferential
Peristalsis of
muscularis – to get
urine from kidney to
ureter

Inner longitudinal
Urinary bladder – function: temporary storage of urine

Micturition – voiding of urination

-initiated by stretch receptors in wall at about 200/400 mL
-sends impulses to spinal cord
-parasympathetic impulses causes contraction of detrusor muscle and relaxation of
internal sphincter via pelvic splanchnic nerves
-conscious thought sends impulses via pudendal nerve to skeletal muscle of external
sphincter to relax
 Urinary bladder – nondistended (MCO0090)

muscularis

Transitional
epithelium
Transitional
epithelium
 Urinary Bladder – distended (high mag – 40x) MCO0091

Transitional epithelium
Incontinence
- lack of voluntary control of micturition
- Normal in infants
- in adults, due to nerve injury, bladder irritation and sphincter trauma

Retention
- Failure to completely void urine in bladder

Hydronephrosis
-increased urine pressure …? [did not catch all of this]
 Urethra - MCO0092

Urethra - Crescent
shaped lumen

Muscularis:
-Inner
longitudinal
-outer circular
Urethra has transitional epithelium near
bladder portion