The Urinary System

Function
Maintain the consistency of fluids in the body
Similar to a water purification plant
 Facts
Kidneys filter 200 liters of fluid every day
Removes metabolic waste, ions, toxins from
the bloodstream
Help regulate blood pressure and secretes
erythropoietin
 Organs
Kidneys
Ureters
Urinary
bladder
Urethra
 Kidney Location

Superior lumbar region

T12 to L3
Receive some protection from the
lower ribs
Right kidney is crowded by liver so it
lies slightly lower than left kidney
Weighs 150g (0.33 lbs)
12cm long, 6cm wide, 3cm thick
(about size of large bar of soap)
 Internal Anatomy
Three regions:
Cortex
Medulla
Contains renal
pyramids
Pelvis
Collects urine to
send down
ureter to bladder
 Blood Supply
Under normal conditions, the renal arteries
deliver approximately of blood supply to the
kidneys every minute
 Nephrons
Each kidney contains over one million
tiny processing units called nephrons
They carry out the process of making
urine
Each consists of:
Glomerulus mass of capillaries
Bowmans capsule structure that collects
filtrate from glomerulus
 Glomerulus
Endothelium is very porous
Large amounts of solute-rich, protein
free fluid pass from the blood to the
Bowmans capsule
This fluid (or filtrate) is raw material
that is processed by the renal tubules
to form urine
 Renal Tubule
Filtrate leaves the glomerulus
and travels through a set of
small tubes = tubules
About 3 cm long
Three parts:
1) Proximal convoluted tubule
(closer to glomerulus)
2) Loop of Henle
3) Distal convoluted tubule
 Collecting Ducts
Receive filtrate from many nephrons
Give renal pyramids striped appearance
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 Quiz
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 Kidney Physiology
Of the approximately 1000mL of blood that
passes through the glomeruli each minute,
650mL is plasma
About of 120mL of plasma is forced into the
renal tubules
Equivalent to filtering entire blood plasma 60
times a day = 47 gallons
Kidneys consume 20-25% of all oxygen used
by body at rest
 Filtrate vs. Urine
Once filtrate has moved through the collecting
ducts, it has lost most of its water, nutrients
and essential ions
What remains is called urine and contains
mostly metabolic wastes
About 1.5L of the 180L of filtrate leaves the
body as urine
Rest is returned to circulation
Urine Formation
Three processes:
1) Glomerular
filtration
2) Tubular
reabsorption
3) Tubular secretion
 Glomerular Filtration
For the most part, filtration is a passive,
nonselective process in which fluids and
solutes are forced through a membrane by
hydrostatic pressure
Very efficient because of high permeability
and high blood pressure
55mm Hg in contrast to other capillaries in
body at 18mm Hg
 Tubular Reabsorption
Our total blood volume is filtered into the
renal tubules about every 45 minutes
If some was not reclaimed, all of our plasma
would be drained away within an hour
This reclaiming process is called tubular
reabsorption
 Tubular Reabsorption
All organic nutrients (glucose, amino acids) are
completely reabsorbed but the reabsorption of water
and ions are regulated by hormones

Which hormone regulates the reabsorption of water

by adjusting the permeability of the collecting ducts?
Antidiuretic hormone
Reabsorption of:
Cations (Na+, K+, Mg2+, Ca2+)
Anions (HCO3-, Cl-)
HCO3- is bicarbonate; where did that come from?
Small Intestine
 Tubular Secretion
Disposing of certain drugs (penicillin, phenobarbital
seizures and anxiety)
Eliminates urea
CO(NH2)2
How body eliminates nitrogen
Eliminates uric acid
C5H4N4O3
Uric acid is a product of the breakdown of purine
nucleotides. Which ones are purines?
adenine (A) and guanine (G)
High blood concentrations of uric acid can lead to
a type of arthritis known as gout
GOUT

Gout
 Formation of Dilute Urine
Simple process because no water is absorbed
in the renal tubules

Formation of Concentrated Urine

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) inhibits urine
output by increasing reabsorption of water
During maximum ADH secretion, 99% of water
is reabsorbed and returned to blood
 Diuretics

Chemicals that increase

urinary output
Alcohol inhibits ADH
release
Caffeine, drugs for
hypertension and edema
from congestive heart
failure inhibit sodium ion
reabsorption which inhibits
water reabsorption
 Characteristics of Urine
Generally clear and pale to deep yellow in color
Color results from the bodys destruction of
hemoglobin and creation of by-product bilirubin
More water = pale urine, and vice versa
Pink or brown urine can result from foods like
beets or rhubarb or due to bile pigments or blood
in urine
Cloudy urine may indicate infection of some part
of urinary tract
 Characteristics of Urine
Odor
Fresh urine has a slight odor
Urine that is allowed to stand
develops an ammonia odor due to
bacteria
Some foods or drugs can create
unusual odor
In persons with diabetes, urine
can smell fruity when glucose is
high
 Chemical Composition
95% of urine is water
5% is solutes
Urea
breakdown of
amino acids
Creatinine
Helps regenerate
ATP, more in
skeletal muscles
Uric acid
Breakdown of
purines
 Kidney Stones
Caused by Ca, Mg, or uric acid salts
crystallizing in kidney
Most are smaller than 5mm so they pass
without problems
Larger crystals can obstruct ureter
Prevention includes adequate hydration
Treatment includes shock wave lithotripsy
(using ultrasound to break up stones)
 Pyelonephritis
Infection of entire kidney
In females, usually caused
by E. coli bacteria from
anal area into urinary tract
Severe cases can result in
abscesses that cause
kidney to fill with pus
If left untreated, kidneys
can be damaged
 Renal Failure
Causes:
Repeated damage from infections
Physical injury to kidneys
Crush injury to skeletal muscles (releases
myoglobin that clogs renal tubules)
Heavy metal poisoning (Hg or Pb)
Organic solvent poisoning (paint thinner,
acetone, dry-cleaning fluid, etc.)
Inadequate blood supply (can occur in
arteriosclerosis)
 Physiology of Renal Failure
Filtrate formation decreases or stops
Nitrogen waste builds up
Blood pH becomes more acidic
 Hemodialysis
Artificial kidney
Patients blood is passed through membrane
tubing that is permeable and wastes diffuse
out of blood
Usually done 3-4 times per week and each
session takes 4-8 hours
Life threatening kidney failure only becomes
obvious after about 75% of renal function has
been lost
Only permanent solution is kidney transplant
 Ureters
Tubes that take urine
from each kidney to
bladder
Each begins at L2
Stretching of ureters
causes peristalsis to
push urine down
Urinary Bladder
Smooth, collapsible,
muscular sac that
temporarily stores
urine
A moderately full
bladder holds about
500mL of urine (2
cups)
 Urethra
Thin walled muscular tube that drains
urine from the bladder to outside the
body
Has sphincters:
Internal involuntary sphincter keeps
urethra closed when urine is not being
passed
External voluntary sphincter that relaxes
during voiding of urine
 Urinary Tract Infections
Overall, 40% of all women get UTIs
Urethra is only 3-4 cm long
Proximal to anal opening
Improper toilet habits
Sexual intercourse can cause vaginal
bacteria to move into urethra
 Incontinence
Inability to control urination
Infants have not learned to control external sphincter
In older adults, the sphincter malfunctions
 Crash Course
Video
About 12 minutes