REVIEW ON THE ANATOMY & PHYSIOLOGY OF THE RENAL SYSTEM The major role of the renal system is to maintain

n homeostasis by maintaining body fluid composition & volume. The components of the urinary system are as follows: - Kidneys - Ureters - Urinary blader - Urethra THE KIDNEYS - Two bean-shaped organs located retroperitoneally at the level of the twelfth thoracic & third lumbar vertebra (costovertebral angle). - The right kidney is slightly lower than the left kidney due to the presence of the liver on the right side of the abdomen. - The kidneys are divided into renal cortex, medulla & pelvis. The medulla is composed of series of pyramids. - NEPHRONS, the functional units of the kidneys. It is composed of glumerulus & the renal tubules. - Glumerulus, a tuft of semi-permeable capillaries surrounded by the Bowmans capsule. - 3 Regions of the Renal Tubules: o Proximal Convuluted Tubules o Loop of Henle o Distal Convuluted Tubules - The primary function of the nephron is formation of urine. - About 1, 200 ml of blood flows to the kidneys per minute, which is 20 to 25% of the cardiac output. - Through the formation of urine, the kidneys remove waste products from the body, regulate fluid volume, maintain electrolyte concentration, blood pressure & pH within the body. - The glomerular filtration rate is 125 ml/min. From this, the kidneys form 0.5 ml to 1 ml of per minute, or to 30 to 60 ml per hour, or approximately 1,500 ml per day of urine. THE URETERS - Two small tubes about 25 cm long. - They transport urine from the renal pelvis to the urinary bladder. THE URINARY BLADDER - Serves as a reservoir for urine - It is composed of 3 layers of detrusor muscles. Contraction of these muscles expels urine from the bladder. - The approximate maximum capacity of the bladder is 1,000 ml of urine. THE URETHRA - Passageway of the urine into the external environment. - Female urethra: 1 -2 inches. Male urethra: 5 -6 inches. - The shorter urethra among females increase propensity to UTI.
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RCdelaPea, RN, RM, MAN

 URINE FORMATION 1. GLOMERULAR FILTRATION - Water & solutes move from the blood to the glomerular capsule. The fluid that enters the capsule is called glomerular filtrate. 2. TUBULAR REABSORPTION - It is the movement of the substances from the filtrate in the kidney tubules into the blood in the peritubular capillaries. Only 1% of the filtrate remains in the tubules & become urine. - Water & other substances that are useful to the body are reabsorbed. Water is reabsorbed by osmosis, while most solutes are reabsorbed by active transport. 3. TUBULAR SECRETION - Transport of substances from the blood into the renal tubules. Potassium & hydrogen are primarily eliminated from the body. Ammonia, uric acid, some drug metabolites are likewise eliminated.

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RCdelaPea, RN, RM, MAN