Kidney Basics
What structures make up the urinary system, other than the kidneys?
ureters, urinary bladder, urethra
What artery arches along the corticomedullary junction?
arcuate artery
The renal corpuscle contains what tuft of capillaries where blood is first filtered?
glomerulus
What process moves substances from blood into the nephron tubule to become part of urine?
tubular secretion (slides 13-15)
What ducts carry urine to the urinary bladder?
ureters
What are the 3 main waste products the kidneys remove from the blood?
urea, uric acid, creatinine
What small arteries supply the cortex and cortical tissue?
cortical radiate arteries AKA interlobular arteries
This cell type with foot processes create filtration slits covered by a slit diaphragm - a key part of the filtration membrane.
podocytes
What structure acts like a sieve and prevents proteins and blood cells from entering the filtrate?
filtration membrane (slides 19-21)
What type of specialized epithelium makes up the mucosal lining of the ureters?
transitional epithelium
What space are the kidneys located in?
retroperitoneal space
What vessels feed and drain the glomerulus?
afferent and efferent arterioles
What is the first tubular segment that reclaims most nutrients, water, and ions from passing into filtrate?
proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
What process reclaims water, ions, and nutrients from filtrate and returns them to the blood?
tubular reabsorption (slides 13-15)
What are the 3 regions of the male urethra?
prostatic, membranous, spongy (penile)
What concave area of the kidney do vessels and nerves enter and exit?
the hilus (hilum)
What capillaries arise from efferent arterioles of cortical nephrons and are adapted for absorption?
peritubular capillaries
What portion of the nephron contains thin descending and thick ascending limbs?
the nephron loop AKA Loop of Henle
What structure adjusts final urine volume under hormonal control, like ADH?
the collecting duct (slides 10-12; 22-24)
What is the name of the region of the bladder between ureteric orifices?
trigone (of the bladder)
What fibrous covering surrounds the kidney?
renal capsule
What small muscular cells in the afferent arterioles secrete renin as part of blood pressure regulation?
granular cells AKA juxtaglomerular cells
What are the two layers of the glomerular capsule (Bowman's capsule) called? What are each made of?
parietal layer = simple squamous epithelium
visceral layer = podocytes
Movement of ions out of the thick ascending limb helps generate what essential renal gradient?
the medullary osmotic gradient (slides 22-24)
What type of muscle composes the internal urethral sphincter?
smooth muscle