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1. Identify & give functions for each of the following:
-kidney
-ureter
-urethra
-urinary bladder
-renal cortex
-renal medulla
-renal pelvis
2. Identify & give functions for each of the following structures w/i the kidney:
-nephron
-glomerulus
-bowman¶s capsule
-afferent & efferent arterioles
-peritubular capillary network
-proximal & distal convoluted tubules
-collecting duct
-loop of henle
3. Contrast the blood in the renal artery & the renal vein w/ respect to urea & glucose
content
4. Identify the source glands for ADH & aldosterone & explain how the hormones are
regulated
5. Relate ADH, aldosterone & the nephron to the regulation of water & blood sodium
levels





Waste products of metabolism must be removed from the body. This is facilitated by
many structures.
Liver ± removes toxins from blood, makes urea, makes bile
Skin ± gets rid of heat
Lungs ± CO2
Intestines ± feces
Kidney ± urine (salts, urea, etc.)
The urinary system is composed of the structures that rid the body of urine. What is
urine? It is a complex solution of water, ions (Na+, K+, Cl-, Ca2+), urea, & other
components.
In its role of removing urine the urinary system is important in maintaining the body¶s
water, salt, & pH balance.




Kidneys filter the blood of uric acid & urea, which are made by liver from NH2 of amino
acid metabolism. Urine formed by the kidney is transported to the bladder via the
ureters. The bladder stores urine until it is convenient to get rid of it or until it is full. A
sphincter muscle blocks exit to bladder. A stretch reflex allows muscles to relax ĺ
urination via urethra.
Kidney has 3 parts:
-outer cortex
-inner medulla
-central cavity reffered to as pelvis

The kidney is composed of over a million structures called nephrons (the functional unit
of the kidney)
nephron ĺ Bowman¶s capsule ± which includes glomerulus
-proximal convoluted tubule
³tubule -loop of henlé
network´ -distal convoluted tubule
-collecting duct
Blood vessels associated with nephron:
-renal artery
-afferent arteriole
-glomerulus
-efferent arteriole
-peritubular capillaries (network)
-renal vein

Urine is produced through 3 processes:

1. pressure filtration
2. selective reabsorption
3. tubular excretion

DIAGRAM

1. Pressure Filtration
-blood pressure in the afferent arteriole causes small molecules in the blood to move
from the glomerulus to the inside of the bowman¶s capsule
-effectively blood is split into 2 parts
1. filterable component: water, salts, nutrients (eg. glucose), nitrogenous wastes (eg.
urea)
2. non-filterable component: cells, blood proteins, platelets
-for this process to operate blood pressure has to be maintained. If BP drops, rennin (a
hormone) is released to help bringing up BP (through H2O retention)

2. Selective Reabsorption
-passive reabsorption ± depends upon diffusion where H2O passively moves from the
proximal convoluted tubule into the blood of the peritubular capillary network
-active readsorption ± depends upon active transport (therefore kidneys have a high
energy demand)
Eg. Glucose diffuses from the tubular filtrate into the tubule cells & is actively
transported into the blood (transepithelial transport)
-water, nutrients, & required salts (Na+, K+, Ca2+, Cl-, PO43-, etc.) are reabsorbed
-excess water & salts, urea & other wastes remain in the tubular fluid & continue into
loop of henlé. The loop of henlé allows humans to concentrate urine. Salt (Na+, Cl-)
passively diffuses out of the lower part of the ascending limb& it is actively transported
out of the upper part. This results in water flowing into the blood in response to the
osmotic gradient. Ascending limb is impermeable to water.

3. Tubular Excretion
-the distal convoluted tubules continue to actively transport Na+ into blood, & so H2O
passively follows
-substances can also be added to the tubular fluid. These substances are actively
secreted
eg. Ammonia (NH3), H+, penicillin, histamine, caffeine, & others
-the urine in the tubule flows into the collecting duct, here more water flows into the
medulla of kidney (then into blood). Urine empties from the collecting duct into the
pelvis of the kidney. The urine then flows through the ureters to be stored in the bladder.

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Water reabsorption by the LoH & collecting duct allows the kidney to produce a
hypertonic urine, urine that is more concentrated than blood.

DIAGRAM

Proximal Tubule ± permeable to H2O & Na+

Descending Limb ± permeable to H2O not Na+
Ascending Limb ± permeable to Na+ not H2O (passive Na+ transport in lower portion,
active in upper)

The nephron establishes an osmotic gradient within the renal medulla. This gradient is
greatest as you move towards the inner medulla. The gradient is established by the
Na+ that passes out of the ascending limb & urea that leaks from the lower collecting
duct.

Water is drawn from the tubule from top to bottom of descending limb due to the
increasing osmotic gradient as one moves to the inner medulla. The ascending limb is
impermeable to water so no more water may leave as it moves up the ascending limb.

Fluid that enters the collecting duct from the distal tubule is isotonic with the cells of the
cortex. At this point there is no exchange of H2O & salts between the tubular fluid & the
surrounding cortex tissues.

As urine flows down the collecting duct it moves towards the inner medulla &
encounters the same osmotic gradient as the LoH. The collecting duct is permeable to
H2O, so more H2O diffuses out of the collecting duct into the renal tissue making the
remaining urine hypertonic to blood plasma. The permeability of the collecting duct to
H2O is regulated by antidiuretic hormone (ADH), thus allowing us to alter the amount of
H2O in urine.



   

DIAGRAM

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ADH is released by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland in response to water balance
in the body
Ļ body H2O ĺ Ĺ ADH release ĺ Ĺ H2O reabsorption by collecting duct so Ļ in urine vol.

A decrease in ADH levels causes an increase in impermeability of collecting duct to

H2O so less water is removed from filterate. Therefore urine is less concentrated & of
greater volume.

Alcohol can cause this effect by inhibiting the release of ADH by posterior pituitary.
Caffeine causes a similar effet by decreasing collecting duct permeability to H2O

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 !


Most of the Na+ filtered from the blood is reabsorbed at the proximal tubule or
ascending limb of LoH. This reabsorption is regulated by hormones.

Ļ in afferent arteriole BP triggers sensors in the juxtaglomeuluar apparatus in the

glomerulus. In response the kidneys release the hormone renin. Renin acts as an
enzyme to change the blood protein angiotensinogen to angiotensin. Angioensin
stimulates the adrenal cortex to release aldosterone. The adrenal cortex is the outer
portion of the adrenal glands which lie atop the kidneys.

Aldosterone causes an increase in K+ excretion & Na+ reabsorption. As Na+ retention

increases so does water retention. With an increase in H2O retention comes an
increase in blood volume & so blood pressure glomular filtration returns to normal.

If blood volume becomes too great the cardiac cells will be stretched. This results in the
secretion of Atrial Natriuretic Hormone (ANH) from the atria. This hormone inhibits the
release of renin & aldosterone, thus promoting Na+ secretion & so decreasting H2O
retention ĺ Ļ in blood volume & BP

WORKSHEET
LAB x2


 


$
%

    



feces ± intestines ± DS
CO2 ± lungs ± RS
heat ± blood vessels ± CS
urine ± kidneys - US
"


-structure ± kidneys, ureter, bladder, urethra
-process of urination

&'
   

-renal cortex
-renal medulla
-renal pelvis
-ureter
-renal artery & vein

(
   

blood vessels
-afferent arteriole
-glomerulus
-efferent arteriole
-peritubular capillaries
tubules
-bowman¶s capsule
-proximal convoluted tubule
-loop of henlé
-distal convoluted tubule
-collecting duct

)
*  
-pressure (glomerular) filtration
-selective (tubular) reabsorption
-tubular excretion/secretion
-loop of henlé -concentrating
-collecting duct urine

+Regulation of Water Balance ± ADH

Regulation of Na+ balance ± aldosterone
Effects of BP ± renin, angiotensin (juxtaglomeular apparatus)
ANH (atrial naturitic hormone)

,Contrast the blood in renal artery & vein with respect to urea & glucose content

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