URINARY SYSTEM

By: Farzana Kausar Khattak

Lecturer
KMU-INS
 OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this unit learners will be able to:
 Define the Urinary System.
 List the organs of Urinary system
 Discuss the location of the kidney.
 Discuss kidneys in terms of external anatomy, gross
structure & microscopic structure.
 Describe the role of each component of nephron in terms
of filtration, selective reabsorption & secretion involved in
the formation of urine.
 Briefly discuss the role of kidney in maintaining water and
electrolyte balance.
Farzana Khattak
 URINARY SYSTEM
The urinary system is a vital physiological system that
maintains the body's internal balance by filtering waste
products and excess fluids from the blood, forming urine,
and excreting it through the urinary tract.
 Also known as the Renal System or Urinary Tract.
 Consists of:
• Kidneys
• Ureters
• Bladder
• Urethra
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 FUNCTIONS OF URINARY
SYSTEM
Regulates the following aspects of homeostasis of the
body:
 Electrolytes balance
 Acid-base balance in the blood
 Blood pressure
 Red blood cell production
 Activation of vitamin D

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 ORGANS OF URINARY
SYSTEM

• Kidneys
• Ureters
• Urinary Bladder
• Urethra

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EXTERNAL STRUCTURE OF
KIDNEY
 The Kidneys are two Bean shaped organs.
 They are located on the left and right in the back of the
abdominal cavity, against the dorsal body wall.
 They located 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 Hilum.
 At top each Kidney has an Adrenal gland.
 Each Kidney is about 10-11(4.3`) in length, 5.5 cm in
width and 3cm in thickness.
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Farzana Khattak
 COVERING OF KIDNEY
(CAPSULE)
It provides protection to kidney and consists of 3
layers of connective tissue:

1. Inner layer- Renal capsule

2. Middle layer- Adipose capsule
3. Outer layer- Renal fascia

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 INNER STRUCTURE OF
KIDNEY
1. Renal Cortex – Outer region
2. Renal Medulla – Inside the cortex
3. Renal Pelvis – Inner collecting tube

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Farzana Khattak
 INNER STRUCTURE OF
KIDNEY
 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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MICROSCOPIC STRUCTURE OF
KIDNEY
 Nephrons
 Nephrons are the structural and functional unit of
the Kidney, the structure that actually produces
urine in the process of removing waste and excess
substances from the blood. There are about
1,000,000 nephrons in each human kidney.
 Nephron is responsible for forming urine.
 Main structures of the nephrons are:
1. Glomerulus
2. 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
 The Glomerulus sits within a Glomerular Capsule
(The first part of the Renal tubule)of Renal Tubule.

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Farzana Khattak
 TUBULES
1. Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule
2. Proximal Convoluted Tubule
3. Loop of Henle
1. Descending
2. Ascending
4. Distal Convoluted Tubule
5. Collecting Tubule

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TUBULAR SYSTEM OF NEPHRON

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TYPES OF NEPHRON
1. Cortical Nephrons
 Located entirely in the Cortex
 Includes most Nephrons

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CONT…
2. Juxtamedullary Nephrons
 Found at the boundary of the Cortex
and Medulla

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 URINE FORMATION
PROCESSES
There are three processes (Phases) involved
in urine formation:
 Filtration
 Reabsorption
 Secretion

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 FILTRATION
 Non-selective 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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GLOMERULAR FILTRATION
RATE
 The glomerular filtration rate is the amount of blood
filtered by the Kidney's Glomerulus into the Bowman's
Capsule per unit of time. It is sometimes abbreviated as
GFR. This rate of filtration is influenced by the
interplay of several important forces. Two Forces are
important:
 Hydrostatic Pressure
 Oncotic Pressure
Normal GFR is 90 to 120 mL/min

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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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NOT ABSORBABLE MATERIALS

 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.
 The normal range for 24-hour urine volume is 800 to
2,000 milliliters per day (with a normal fluid intake of
about 2 liters per day).
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FORMATION OF URINE

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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.
 25-30 cm in length.

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CONT…
 Superiorly
Continuous with the Renal Pelvis.
 Inferiorly
Pass through the Abdominal cavity, behind the
Peritoneum, in front of the Psoas muscle, into the
Pelvic cavity here they enter the posterior wall of the
Bladder.

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 LAYERS OF URETERS
 3 layers of tissue
 Outer layer
• Fibrous tissue
 Middle layer
• Muscle
 Inner layer
• Epithelium

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 URINARY BLADDER
 Smooth, Collapsible, Muscular sac.
 Temporarily stores urine.

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 CONT…
 Trigone – Three openings
• Two from the Ureters
• One to the Urethra

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URINARY BLADDER WALL

Urinary bladder consists of 3 layers.

 Outer Layer
• Loose connective tissue.
 Middle Layer
• Smooth muscle (Detrusor Muscle) and elastic
fibers.
 Inner Layer
• Lined with transitional epithelium.

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 NORMAL CAPACITY OF
BLADDER
The normal capacity of the Bladder is 400-600 mL.
During urination, the Bladder muscles squeeze, and
two Sphincters (valves) open to allow urine to flow
out. Urine exits the Bladder through the Urethra,
which carries urine out of the body.

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 BLADDER

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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
 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

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MAINTAINING WATER BALANCE
 Water intake must be equal to 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
• Urine production

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 CONT…
 Dilute urine is produced if water intake is excessive.
 Less urine (concentrated) is produced if large amounts
of water is 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.

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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 by products of cellular
metabolism.

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CONT…

 Most Acid-Base balance is maintained by the Kidneys

 Other Acid-Base controlling systems
• Blood Buffers
• Respiration

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REFERENCES
 Ross, & Wilson.Anatomy & Physiology in Health & Illness.
10th Edition.
 Tortora, G. J. (2000). Principles of Human Anatomy and
Physiology (3rd ed). New York: Happer & Row.
 www.google.com

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 O U
K Y
H A N
T
Farzana Khattak