26-1

Human Urogenital System

26-2

Urogenital System Functions• Filtering of blood, Removal of wastes and

metabolites

• Regulation of – blood volume and composition– concentration of blood solutes– pH of extracellular fluid– blood cell synthesis

• Synthesis of Vitamin D

• Reproduction and sexual function

26-3

Urinary System Anatomy

26-4

Location and External Anatomyof Kidneys

• Location– Lie behind peritoneum on

posterior abdominal wall on either side of vertebral column

– Lumbar vertebrae and rib cage partially protect

– Right kidney slightly lower than left

• External Anatomy– Renal capsule

• Surrounds each kidney

– Perirenal fat• Engulfs renal capsule and acts as

cushioning and source of energy

– Renal fascia• Anchors kidneys to abdominal

wall, separates from abdomen

– Hilum• Renal artery and nerves enter and

renal vein and ureter exit kidneys

26-5

Internal Anatomy of Kidneys

• Cortex: Outer area– Renal columns

• Medulla: Inner area– Renal pyramids

• Calyces– Major: Converge to form

pelvis

– Minor: Papillae extend

• Nephron: Functional unit of kidney– Juxtamedullary

– Cortical

26-6

The Nephron

26-7

Histology of the Nephron

26-8

Internal Anatomy of Kidneys

• Renal corpuscle– Bowman’s or Renal capsule

• Parietal layer• Visceral layer

– Glomerulus• Network of capillaries

goes into another capillary bed called the peritubular Capillaries

- Arterioles

– Afferent• Blood to glomerulus

– Efferent• Drains not into veinule but

another arteriole

• Tubules– Proximal (convoluted)

tubule– Loops of Henle

• Descending limb• Ascending limb

– Distal (convoluted) tubules

• Collecting ducts

26-9

Renal Corpuscle

26-10

Kidney Blood Flow

26-11

Ureters and Urinary Bladder

• Ureters– Tubes through which

urine flows from kidneys to urinary bladder

• Urinary bladder– Stores urine

• Urethra– Transports urine from

bladder to outside of body

– Difference in length between males and females

– Sphincters• Internal urinary

• External urinary

26-12

Ureters and Urinary Bladder

26-13

Urine Formation

26-14

Filtration• Filtration

– Renal filtrate• Plasma minus blood

cells and blood proteins

• Most (99%) reabsorbed

• Filtration membrane– Fenestrated

endothelium, basement membrane and pores formed by podocytes

• Filtration pressure– Responsible for filtrate

formation– Glomerular capillary

pressure (GCP) minus capsule pressure (CP) minus colloid osmotic pressure (COP)

– Changes caused by glomerular capillary pressure

EFP = GCP – CP – COP

Where Effective filtration pressure = EFP

26-15

Filtration Pressure

26-16

Tubular Reabsorption• Reabsorption almost 90%

takes place in Proximal tubule via – Passive transport– Active transport– Cotransport

• Specialization of tubule segments

• Distal tubule and collecting duct affected by hormones like ADH & Aldosterone

• Substances transported– Active transport moves

Na+ across nephron wall

– Other ions and molecules moved by cotransport

– Passive transport moves water, urea, lipid-soluble, nonpolar compounds

26-17

Reabsorption in Proximal Nephron

26-18

Reabsorption in Loop of Henle

26-19

Reabsorption in Loop of Henle

26-20

Tubular Secretion

• Substances enter proximal or distal tubules and collecting ducts

• H+, K+ and some substances not produced in body are secreted by countertransport mechanisms

26-21

Secretion of Hydrogen and Potassium

26-22

Urine Production

• In Proximal tubules– Na+ and other substances

removed– Water follows passively– Filtrate volume reduced

• In descending limb of loop of Henle– Water exits passively,

solute enters– Filtrate volume reduced

15%

• In ascending limb of loop of Henle– Na+, Cl-, K+ transported out of

filtrate– Water remains

• In distal tubules and collecting ducts– Water movement out

regulated by ADH• If absent, water not

reabsorbed and dilute urine produced

• If ADH present, water moves out, concentrated urine produced

26-23

Filtrate and Medullary Concentration Gradient

26-24

Medullary Concentration and Urea Cycling

26-25

Urine Concentration Mechanism

• When large volume of water consumed– Eliminate excess

without losing large amounts of electrolytes

– Response is kidneys produce large volume of dilute urine

• When drinking water not available– Kidneys produce small

volume of concentrated urine

– Removes waste and prevents rapid dehydration

26-26

Urine Concentrating Mechanism

26-27

Hormonal Mechanisms• ADH

– Secreted by posterior pituitary

– Increases water permeability in distal tubules and collecting ducts

• Aldosterone– Produced in adrenal cortex

– Affects Na+ and Cl- transport in nephron and collecting ducts

• Renin– Produced by kidneys,

causes production of angiotensin II

• Atrial natriuretic hormone– Produced by heart when

blood pressure increases• Inhibits ADH production

• Reduces ability of kidney to concentrate urine

26-28

Effect of ADH on Nephron

26-29

Aldosterone Effect on Distal Tubule

26-30

Autoregulation and Sympathetic Stimulation

• Autoregulation– Involves changes in

degree of constriction in afferent arterioles

– As systemic BP increased, afferent arterioles constrict and prevent increase in renal blood flow

• Sympathetic stimulation– Constricts small arteries

and afferent arterioles

– Decreases renal blood flow

26-31

Clearance and Tubular Load

• Plasma clearance– Volume of plasma

cleared of a specific substance each minute

– Used to estimate GFR

– Used to calculate renal plasma flow

– Used to determine which drugs or other substances excreted by kidney

• Tubular load– Total amount of

substance that passes through filtration membrane into nephrons each minute

– Normally glucose is almost completed reabsorbed

26-32

Tubular Maximum

• Tubular maximum– Maximum rate at

which a substance can be actively absorbed

– Each substance has its own tubular maximum

26-33

Urine Flow and Micturition Reflex

• Urine flow– Hydrostatic pressure

forces urine through nephron

– Peristalsis moves urine through ureters

• Micturition reflex– Stretch of urinary

bladder stimulates reflex causing bladder to contract, inhibiting urinary sphincters

– Higher brain centers can stimulate or inhibit reflex

26-34

Micturition Reflex

26-35

Effects of Aging on Kidneys

• Gradual decrease in size of kidney– Decrease in kidney size leads to decrease in

renal blood flow

• Decrease in number of functional nephrons• Decrease in renin secretion and vitamin D

synthesis• Decline in ability of nephron to secrete and

absorb

26-36

Kidney Dialysis