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Anatomy and Physiology of Renal System

The document summarizes the anatomy and physiology of the urinary system. It describes the key components of the urinary system including the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. It explains the functions of the kidneys in filtering waste from the bloodstream and producing urine through processes like glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and tubular secretion. Finally, it outlines the main functions of the urinary system in filtering waste, processing it for elimination from the body, and regulating blood volume and composition.

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Kirstin del Carmen
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272 views

Anatomy and Physiology of Renal System

The document summarizes the anatomy and physiology of the urinary system. It describes the key components of the urinary system including the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra. It explains the functions of the kidneys in filtering waste from the bloodstream and producing urine through processes like glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption, and tubular secretion. Finally, it outlines the main functions of the urinary system in filtering waste, processing it for elimination from the body, and regulating blood volume and composition.

Uploaded by

Kirstin del Carmen
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Iloilo Doctors’ College

College of Nursing
West Avenue, Molo, Iloilo City

Anatomy and Physiology of Urinary System

Anatomy of the Urinary System


The urinary system consists of two kidneys, two ureters, a
urinary bladder, and a urethra. The kidneys alone perform
the functions just described and manufacture urine in the
process, while the other organs of the urinary system
provide temporary storage reservoirs for urine or serve as
transportation channels to carry it from one body region
to another.

The Kidneys
The kidneys, which maintain the purity and constancy of our internal fluids, are perfect examples
of homeostatic organs.
● Location. These small, dark red organs with a kidney-bean shape lie against the dorsal
body wall in a retroperitoneal position (beneath the parietal peritoneum) in the superior
● lumbar region; they extend from the T12 to the L3 vertebra, thus they receive protection
from the lower part of the rib cage.
● Positioning. Because it is crowded by the liver, the right kidney is positioned
slightly lower than the left.
● Size. An adult kidney is about 12 cm (5 inches) long, 6 cm (2.5 inches) wide, and 3 cm (1
inch) thick, about the size of a large bar of soap.
● Adrenal gland. Atop each kidney is an adrenal gland, which is part of the endocrine
system and is a distinctly separate organ functionally.
● Fibrous capsule. A transparent fibrous capsule encloses each kidney and gives a fresh
kidney a glistening appearance.
● Perirenal fat capsule. A fatty mass, the perirenal fat capsule, surrounds each kidney and
acts to cushion it against blows.
● Renal fascia. The renal fascia, the outermost capsule, anchors the kidney and helps hold
it in place against the muscles of the trunk wall.
● Renal cortex. The outer region, which is light in color.
Iloilo Doctors’ College
College of Nursing
West Avenue, Molo, Iloilo City
● Renal medulla. Deep to the cortex is a darker, reddish-brown area.

● Renal pyramids. The medulla has many basically triangular regions with a striped
appearance, the renal, or medullary pyramids; the broader base of each pyramid faces
toward the cortex while its tip, the apex, points toward the inner region of the kidney.
● Renal columns. The pyramids are separated by extensions of cortex-like tissue.
● Renal pelvis. Medial to the hilum is a flat, basinlike cavity, which is continuous with the
ureter leaving the hilum.

Nephrons
Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the
kidneys. Each kidney contains over a million tiny structures
called nephrons, and they are responsible for forming urine.
Ureters
The ureters do play an active role in urine transport.
● Size. The ureters are two slender tubes each 25 to 30
cm (10 to 12 inches) long and 6 mm (1/4 inch) in
diameter.
● Location. Each ureter runs behind the peritoneum from the renal hilum to the posterior
aspect of the bladder, which it enters at a slight angle.
● Function. Essentially, the ureters are passageways that carry urine from the kidneys to
the bladder through contraction of the smooth muscle layers in their walls that propel
urine into the bladder by peristalsis and is prevented from flowing back by small valve-
like folds of bladder mucosa that flap over the ureter openings.

Urinary Bladder
The urinary bladder is a smooth, collapsible, muscular sac that stores urine temporarily.
● Location. It is located retroperitoneally in the pelvis just posterior to the symphysis
pubis.
● Function. The detrusor muscles and the transitional epithelium both make the bladder
uniquely suited for its function of urine storage.
● Trigone. The smooth triangular region of the bladder base outlined by these three
openings is called the trigone, where infections tend to persist.
Iloilo Doctors’ College
College of Nursing
West Avenue, Molo, Iloilo City
● Detrusor muscles. The bladder wall contains three layers of smooth muscle, collectively
called the detrusor muscle, and its mucosa is a special type of epithelium, transitional
epithelium.

Urethra
The urethra is a thin-walled tube that carries urine by peristalsis from the bladder to the outside
of the body.
● Internal urethral sphincter. At the bladder-urethral junction, a thickening of the smooth
muscle forms the internal urethral sphincter, an involuntary sphincter that keeps the
urethra closed when the urine is not being passed.
● External urethral sphincter. A second sphincter, the external urethral sphincter, is
fashioned by skeletal muscle as the urethra passes through the pelvic floor and
is voluntarily controlled.
● Female urethra. The female urethra is about 3 to 4 cm (1 1/2 inches) long, and its
external orifice, or opening, lies anteriorly to the vaginal opening.
● Male urethra. In me, the urethra is approximately 20 cm (8 inches) long and has three
named regions: the prostatic, membranous, and spongy (penile) urethrae; it opens at the
tip of the penis after traveling down its length.

Physiology of the Urinary System


Every day, the kidneys filter gallons of fluid from the bloodstream. The normal physiology that
takes place in the urinary system are as follows:
Urine Formation
Urine formation is a result of three processes:
● Glomerular filtration. Water and solutes smaller than proteins are forced through the
capillary walls and pores of the glomerular capsule into the renal tubule.
● Tubular reabsorption. Water, glucose, amino acids, and needed ions are transported out
of the filtrate into the tubule cells and then enter the capillary blood.
● Tubular secretion. Hydrogen, potassium, creatinine, and drugs are removed from the
peritubular blood and secreted by the tubule cells into the filtrate.
Characteristics of Urine
In 24 hours, the marvelously complex kidneys filter some 150 to 180 liters of blood plasma
through their glomeruli into the tubules.
Iloilo Doctors’ College
College of Nursing
West Avenue, Molo, Iloilo City
● Daily volume. In 24 hours, only about 1.0 to 1.8 liters of urine are produced.

● Components. Urine contains nitrogenous wastes and unneeded substances.


● Color. Freshly voided urine is generally clear and pale to deep yellow.
● Odor. When formed, urine is sterile and slightly aromatic, but if allowed to stand, it takes
on an ammonia odor caused by the action of bacteria on the urine solutes.
● pH. Urine pH is usually slightly acidic (around 6), but changes in body metabolism and
certain foods may cause it to be much more acidic or basic.
● Specific gravity. Whereas the specific gravity of pure water is 1.0, the specific gravity of
urine usually ranges from 1.001 to 1.035.
● Solutes. Solutes normally found in urine include sodium and potassium ions, urea, uric
acid, creatinine, ammonia, bicarbonate ions, and various other ions.
Functions of the Urinary System
1. Filter. Every day, the kidneys filter gallons of fluid from the bloodstream.
2. Waste processing. The kidneys then process this filtrate, allowing wastes and excess
ions to leave the body in urine while returning needed substances to the blood in just the
right proportions.
3. Elimination. Although the lungs and the skin also play roles in excretion, the kidneys
bear the major responsibility for eliminating nitrogenous wastes, toxins, and drugs from
the body.
4. Regulation. The kidneys also regulate the blood’s volume and chemical makeup so that
the proper balance between water and salts and between acids and bases is maintained.
5. Other regulatory functions. By producing the enzyme renin, they help regulate blood
pressure, and their hormone erythropoietin stimulates red blood cell production in the
bone marrow.
6. Conversion. Kidney cells also convert vitamin D to its active form.

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