Histology of Urinary

System

Elwathiq Khalid Ibrahim

May 2008
Internal Structure of the
Kidney
• Renal cortex
• Renal medulla
• Renal pyramids
• Renal pelvis
• Continuous with ureter
• Calyces
• Extensions of the pelvis
• Function – collect urine
Structure of the Kidney
Human Kidney
Functions of the Urinary System
 Filtration of the blood
• Occurs in the glomerulus of the kidney
nephron
• Contributes to homeostasis by removing
toxins or waste

Unit 1 - Objective 1
Functions of the Urinary System
 Reabsorption of vital nutrients, ions and
water
• Occurs in most parts of the kidney nephron
• Contributes to homeostasis by conserving
important materials
 Release of Erythropoietin by the
kidney
stimulates new RBC production
Unit 1 - Objective 1
Functions of the Urinary System
 Release of Renin by the kidney
• Renin stimulates the formation of a powerful
vasoconstrictor called Angiotensin II
• assists homeostasis by causing
vasoconstriction which increases blood
pressure

Unit 1 - Objective 1
Nephrons and Urine
Formation
• Nephrons form the urine product
• Filtration
• Reabsorption
• Secretion
• Each kidney contains about 1 - 3 million
nephrons
 Urine production maintains
homeostasis
 Regulating blood volume and composition
 Excreting waste products

• Urea
• Creatinine
• Uric acid
 Nephron

• The physiological unit of the kidney used for

filtration of blood and reabsorption and
secretion of materials

Unit 1 - Objective 3
Structure of a Nephron
• 2 main structures
• Glomerulus – a knot of capillaries
• Renal tubule (about 2 inches long)
• Bowman’s capsule surrounds the glomerulus
• Proximal convoluted tubule
• Henle’s Loop
• Distal convoluted tubule
• Renal tubule enters collecting duct
• Receives urine from nephrons
• Delivers final urine product into the calyces
 Two types of nephron
 Cortical nephrons
• ~85% of all nephrons
• Located in the cortex
 Juxtamedullary nephrons
• Closer to renal medulla
• Loops of Henle extend deep into renal pyramids
A Typical Nephron
Medulla vs. Cortex
A Typical Nephron
A Renal Corpuscle
 The Bowman’s Capsule
 Isconnected to initial segment of renal tubule
 Forms outer wall of renal corpuscle

 Encapsulates glomerular capillaries

Figure 26.10 Glomerular
Filtration

Figure 26.10a, b
Renal Corpuscle
 Nephron: Vascular System
 Afferent arteriole
 Glomerulus
 Efferent arteriole
 Peritubular capillaries
• Capillary beds reabsorb
in cortex
 Vasa recta
• Capillary beds reabsorb
in medulla
Nephron
PCT & DCT
Blood Supply of the
Nephron
The Blood Supply to the Kidneys

Figure 26.5c, d
Renal Corpuscles
Functions of Nephron Structures
 AfferentArteriole

• Transports arterial blood to the glomerulus

for filtration
 Efferent Arteriole
• Transports filtered blood from the glomerulus
, through the peritubular capillaries and the
vasa recta, and to the kidney venous system

Unit 1 - Objective 4
Functions of Nephron Structures
 Glomerulus

• The site for blood filtration

• operates as a nonspecific filter; in that, it will
remove both useful and non-useful material
• the product of the glomerulus is called filtrate

Unit 1 - Objective 4
Urine Formation
• Filtration
• Blood in afferent arteriole is under high pressure
• Glomerulus acts as a filter
• Filtrate = the substance that is filtered from the blood into the renal
tubule
• Blood leaves the glomerulus through the efferent arteriole
• Reabsorption
• Filtrate contains useful substances which are returned to the blood
• Most occurs in the proximal convoluted tubules
• Secretion
• Substances move from blood (capillaries) into the filtrate
• Important in controlling pH of blood
 Filtration

 Blood pressure:
• forces water and small solutes across membrane into capsular
space
 Larger solutes, such as plasma proteins, are excluded
Filtration at Renal Corpuscle
 Ispassive
 Solutes enter capsular space:

• metabolic wastes and excess ions

• glucose, free fatty acids, amino acids, and
vitamins
 Urine Formation I
 Glomerular filtration
 Water, ions, amino
acids, and glucose
get into capsular
space from blood
 Proteins stay in blood
– too big to leave
capillaries.
 Urine Formation II
 Proximal convoluted
tubule and Peritubular
capillary
 Na+ goes down
gradient and brings
glucose, amino acids,
etc. back into blood
stream (cotransport).
 Reabsorbs about 65%
of filtrate.
 Urine Formation III
Countercurrent Multiplication
in the Nephron Loop
 Descending limb  Ascending limb
 Goes up toward cortex
 Goes into medulla - decreasing salt
- increasing salt gradient
gradient  Na+ pumped out
 Water leaves  Fluid relatively diluted
 Fluid concentrates
Nephron Loop
Urine Formation IV
 Collecting duct
 Travels down into medulla

 Water leaves tubule and enters blood

 Urine becomes concentrated and enters

renal papilla
 ADH controls water channel
Collecting duct
The Juxtaglomerular Apparatus
 Description

• the juxtaglomerular apparatus consists of:

• Specialized macula densa cells: develop in the
distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
• Specialized granular juxtaglomerular (JG)
cells that develop mainly in the afferent arteriole.

Unit 1 - Objective 6
 The Juxtaglomerular
Apparatus
Bowman’s Capsule
Efferent Arteriole

DCT
PCT

Macula
Densa Cells
Granular Juxtaglomerular (JG)
Cells Afferent Arteriole
JGA
The Juxtaglomerular Apparatus
 Used in maintaining blood pressure
• if the blood pressure drops, the granular JG cells
release renin
• renin converts the blood protein angiotensinogen
into angiotensin I which converts to angiotensin II
• angiotensin II acts as a vasoconstrictor to raise
blood pressure.

Unit 1 - Objective 6