urinary system

• Urinary System


  • Eliminates fluid
  • Regulates blood pressure and volume
  • Regulates electrolytes in blood
  • Eliminates metabolic waste from blood
  • Helps stabilize blood pH
• Organs of the Urinary System

  • Kidney
  • Ureter
  • Urinary Bladder
  • Urethra
  • Adrenal gland
• Kidney

  Produces urine
• Ureter

  Transports urine toward the urinary bladder
• Urinary Bladder

  Temporarily stores urine prior to elimination
• Urethra


  Conducts urine to exterior; in males also transports semen
• The kidneys are sitting in the retroperitoneal space behind the digestive tract.
• The kidneys are partially covered by the lowest ribs.
• The kidneys are surrounded by several layers of connective tissue.
• The hilum is the spot where the renal artery, renal vein, and the ureter physically link up with the kidney.
• The sequential movement of urine is from minor calyx to major calyx to renal pelvis to ureter.
• Major arteries and veins of the kidney

  • Renal artery
  • Renal vein
  • Segmental arteries
  • Interlobar arteries
  • Arcuate arteries
  • Cortical radiate arteries
  • Afferent arterioles
  • Interlobar veins
  • Arcuate veins
  • Cortical radiate veins
• The blood flow through the nephron is from afferent arteriole to glomerular capillaries to efferent arteriole to peritubular capillaries.
• Main parts of the nephron

  • Renal corpuscle
  • Proximal convoluted tubule
  • Nephron loop
  • Distal convoluted tubule
  • Collecting duct
  • Papillary duct
• The urine flows from the papillary duct to the minor calyx, major calyx, renal pelvis, ureter, urinary bladder, and urethra.
• The urinary bladder has smooth muscle (detrusor) and skeletal muscle (external urethral sphincter).