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Physiology of the urinary system
Detailed anatomy and physiology or the urinary system
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Chapter 25 – urinary system1. Anatomy review
2. The nephron
3. Urine formation
4. Urine concentration and volume
5. Renal clearance
6. Urine characteristics and micturition
Function of kidneys
- Kidneys, a major excretory organ, maintain the body’s internal environment by:
o Regulating total water volume and total solute concentration in water
o Regulating ion concentrations in extracellular fluid (ECF)
o Ensuring long-term acid-base balance
o Excreting metabolic wastes, toxins, drugs
o Producing erythropoietin (regulates blood pressure) and renin (regulates RBC production)
The nephron: functional unit of the kidney
- Nephrons: structural and functional units that form urine
o >1 million per kidney
o Two main parts:
1. Renal corpuscle
2. Renal tubule
- Renal corpuscle – 2 parts
o 1. Glomerulus
▪ Tuft of capillaries composed of fenestrated
endothelium
• Highly porous capillaries
• Allows for efficient filtrate formation
o 2. Glomerular capsule
▪ Also called bowman’s capsule: cup-shaped,
structure surrounding glomerulus
, - renal tubule – 3 parts (about 3 cm)
o 1. Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
▪ Proximal, closest to renal corpuscle
▪ Cuboidal cells with dense microvilli
▪ Increase surface area/also have large
mitochondria
▪ Increase cells capacity to reabsorb water
o 2. Nephron loop
▪ “loop of Henle”
▪ U-shaped structure consisting of two
limbs
• 1. Descending limb
• 2. Ascending limb
o 3. Distal convoluted tubule
▪ Distal, fartest from renal corpuscle
▪ Function more in secretion than
reabsorption
▪ Confined to cartex
- Collecting ducts
Two major groups of nephrons
1. Cortical nephrons
o Make up 85% of nephrons
o Almost entirely in cortex
2. Juxtamedullary nephrons
o Long nephron loops deeply invade medulla
o Ascending limbs have thick and thin segments
o Important in production of concentrated urine
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