URINARY SYSTEM

-Maintains body’s internal environment

(homeostasis)

-Preserves body’s acid-base balance, water, and

electrolyte concentrations (filtration,
reabsorption, secretion)

-Helps regulate blood pressure

-Production of hormones (Renin, Erythropoietin,

Thrombopoietin)

CORTEX MEDULLA
- outer portion - inner portion
- reddish & granular - striated

REGIONS OF THE KIDNEY

-The bulk of renal medulla is taken up by 10-15
longitudinally-striated, conical structures called
RENAL PYRAMIDS that are separated by
RENAL COLUMNS

-The base of each pyramid abuts the cortex

while its RENAL PAPILLA points toward the
hilus

-The renal papilla fits into a cup - shaped

structure, MINOR CALYX
KIDNEY:
• Located on the posterior abdominal wall, one
-Several minor calyces unite to form the
on each side of the body
MAJOR CALYX
• At the level of the twelfth thoracic to the level
of the third lumbar vertebrae
-Major calyces unite to form the RENAL
• Bean-shaped
PELVIS, which is the expanded initial portion
• Reddish brown in color
of URETER
• 10-12 cm long, 5 to 6 cm wide, 2.5 to 3 cm
thick
• Medullary rays (of Ferrein) pars radiata, 400 -
• Renal Hilus:
500/pyramid
– Artery
– Vein
• Cortical Labyrinth pars concoluta
– Ureter
– Renal sinus
• It is enveloped by a thin but tough fibrous
LOBES AND LOBULES
capsule that can be easily stripped off from the
• A renal pyramid and the cortical tissue that
organ.
overlies its base constitute a Renal Lobe
• In longitudinal section, the kidney exhibits
two distinct regions: CORTEX and MEDULLA
• A renal lobule is defined as a portion of the
kidney containing those nephrons that are
drained by a common collecting duct

1. AORTA
2. RENAL ARTERY
3. INTERLOBAR ARTERIES
4. ARCUATE ARTERIES
5. INTERLOBULAR ARTERIES
6. AFFERENT ARTERIOLES
7. GLOMERULUS
8. EFFERENT ARTERIOLES
9. PERITUBULAR CAPILLARIES
• JUXTAMEDULLARY NEPHRONS
• VASA RECTA
• Renal lobule consists of papillary duct,
collecting tubules, nephrons, BV, & CT 10. SUPERFICIAL CORTICAL VEINS
11. STELLATE VEINS
• Separated by interlobular blood vessels 12. DEEP CORTICAL VEINS
• MEDULLARY VEINS
13. INTERLOBULAR VEINS
14. ARCUATE VEINS
15. INTERLOBAR VEINS
16. RENAL VEIN

UNIFEROUS TUBULES
-Composed of nephron and intrarenal ducts (CT
& PD)

RENAL BLOOD VESSELS

• Left & Right Renal Arteries
• Abdominal Aorta
• 1.2L of blood/min is delivered to kidney for
filtration

BLOOD FLOW IN THE RENAL VESSELS

NEPHRON
• Functional unit of the kidney
• Each kidney has 1 to 1.5 million
• Components:
– Renal Corpuscle (filtratrion)
– Renal Tubules (modification)
• Tubules in which urine is formed.
• Form the most abundant tissue of renal
parenchyma

• PARTS:
• Renal corpuscle
• Renal Tubules
-Proximal convoluted tubule
-Medullary loop (loop of Henle)
-Distal convoluted tubule

RENAL CORPUSCLE The area of the renal corpuscle where the

• Produces glomerular ultrafiltrate afferent arterioles enter and the efferent
• Is a spherical structure comprising of arterioles leave the glomerulus is called
a) cluster of blood VASCULAR POLE while the area where the
vessels= glomerulus renal tubule begins is called URINARY POLE
b) double walled envelope= glomerular or
Bowman’s capsule GLOMERULUS
• Malpighian corpuscle -20 to 50 highly convoluted capillaries that
• Proximal end of nephron anastomose with each other
• 200um dia
-The Glomerular capillaries are fenestrated and
their endothelium rests on a thick basal lamina

 Mesangial matrix- spaces between the

glomerular capillaries (amorphous
material)
  Glomerular mesangial cells - numerous
in vascular pole, contractile, has
phagocytic and cytoplasmic processes

BOWMAN’S CAPSULE
• Double-walled sac that envelops glomerulus
• Bowman’s capsule comprise of inner
visceral and outer parietal layers and
Bowman’s space in between the layers
• Parietal layer is formed by simple squamous
cells while visceral is formed by podocytes,
whose foot processes (pedicels) contact
glomerular blood capillaries
• The connective tissue stroma of the
glomerulus is constituted by mesangial cells,
which support the glomerular capillaries
• The narrow gaps that exist between the
interdigitating pedicels are called filtration
slits • Basal lamina (endothelial cells & pedicels) 330
• They are covered by a slit membrane or slit nm thick
diaphragm • Slit membrane (diaphragm) 6nm thick. Slit
25nm wide

PODOCYTE
• Stellates cells which have cytoplasmic
processes
• Varies in size and shape
• Major process
• Minor process (pedicels)
RENAL TUBULES
• Pedicels wrap themselves around glomerular
• Tubular reabsorption
capillary walls
• Tubular secretion
• Shares basal lamina
• PCT, LOH, DCT
• Wall is composed of simple epithelium
GLOMERULAR FILTRATION BARRIER
• Separates blood in glomerular capillaries from
PROXIMAL CONVOLUTED TUBULE
the Bowman’s space.
• Reabsorption of water, nutrients and solids
• Fenestrated endothelium (60 -100nm)
(obligatory)
• Confined to cortex
• Lined by simple squamous initially then simple
cuboidal epithelium resting on a thin basal
lamina
• Tubule cells have microvilli on their luminal
surfaces (brush border)
• Tubule cells appear striated due to numerous
basal infoldings & plenty of mitochondria

 Na enters the tubule cell via Na

channels, co-transporters or exchangers,
and is pumped out of the basal and
lateral borders
 80% of water and salts are reabsorbed
 All glucose is reabsorbed
 Amino acids and proteins are reabsorbed
 Certain organic acids and bases are DISTAL CONVOLUTED TUBULE
secreted into the tubule • Reabsorbs a little amount of water and Na ions
and secretes K and H

• Reabsorption regulated by ADH and

aldosterone

• They are confined within the cortex

• Shorter & less convoluted, bigger lumen than

PCT

• Lined by simple cuboidal epithelium resting on

a thin basal lamina

• The cells lack microvilli

• Its epithelial cells stain less eosinophilic

compared to those of PCT

LOOP OF HENLE (Medullary Loop)

• Functions as a counter-current multiplier
system to determine osmolarity of urine

• Extends from corticomedullary junction to

medulla

• Consists of an thick descending limb, a thin

segment and a thick ascending limb

• Starts in PCT then dips into medulla (hairpin)

& return in cortex
Short-looped Long-looped COLLECTING TUBULE
• Cortical • Juxtamedullary • Lie on medullary ray within cortex (initial)
• Abundant • Type 2, 3, 4 40um
• Type 1 • Progressively increase in diameter towards
medulla
JUXTAGLOMERULAR APPARATUS • In inner medulla, Collecting Duct from
different renal lobes unite to form large papillary
• Formed where the DCT contacts the afferent ducts, which open into renal pelvis (100-200um)
arteriole of parent renal corpuscle • 25 papillary ducts/pyramid

• Constituted by 3 cell types; • Collecting Duct are lined by epithelium that

i. Macula densa cells of DCT has 2 cell types:
1. collecting duct cells – simple cuboidal in
ii. Juxtaglomerular cells of afferent cortical part, simple columnar in
arteriole medullary
o Cells have distinct lateral
iii. Extraglomerular mesangial cells borders and faintly
eosinophilic cytoplasm
• Produce renin which converts angiotensinogen 2. intercalated /dark cells
to angiotensin, (a vasoconstricter which raises 3.
blood pressure) • Both cell types rest on a thin Basement
Membrane and lack basal infoldings

• Permeability of CD to water and ions is

regulated by ADH
 1. Tunica mucosa; lined by 2- 5 cell layer of
transitional epithelium that rests on lamina
propria of loose CT having blood vessels.

2. T. muscularis; has inner layer that are

longitudinally arranged and outer layer are
circularly arranged and smooth muscles that are
longitudinally arranged

3. T. adventitia

URINARY BLADDER
• Its wall has 4 tissue layers;

1. Tunica mucosa; lined by up to 8 cell layers of

transitional epithelium that rests on lamina
propria of loose CT
2. T. muscularis; has inner and outer
longitudinal and middle layer of circularly
arranged smooth muscles

3. T. serosa

URETER & URINARY BLADDER:

HISTOLOGIC ORGANIZATION

MUCOSA
• Transitional epithelium
• 2-8 cell layers
• Urethelium
• Lamina propria (thin-thick)
• Loose connective tissue
• MALT
• Some glands

MUSCULARIS
• Inner layer (longitudinal)
• Outer (circular)
• Most bundles are irregularly arranged
• Urinary bladder (well-developed)
– 3 layers (L,C,L)
– Smooth muscles (C)
URETHRA
• Terminal portion of the urinary system
ADVENTITIA/SEROSA
• Urethra in male and in female is different
• Blends with surrounding CT
• In male, common to urinary and reproductive
• Upper part of UB (serosa)
system
• In female, it belongs only to the urinary system
URETER
• Conducts urine from kidney to bladder
MALE URETHRA
• Has 3 tissue layers
• PROSTATIC
– Lined with transitional epithelium
– Its lamina propria is poorly developed loose
CT layer that has many elastic fibers and veins.
– Contains urethral glands

• MEMBRANOUS
– Lined by a pseudostratified columnar
epithelium
– Surrounded by a circularly arranged skeletal
muscle fibers that belong to the sphincter urethra
muscle
• SPONGY
– Lined by pseudostratified columnar epithelium
except near the external urethral meatus
(nonkeratinized stratified squamous)

FEMALE URETHRA
• Its epithelium is transitional in the initial
segment, but nonkeratinized stratified squamous
in the rest of the organ.

• Its lamina propria is loose CT that contains

numerous elastic elements

• The muscular layer consists of longitudinally

and obliquely arrange smooth muscle and outer
circularly arranged skeletal muscle cells

• Adventitia LCT