Overview of the kidney and urinary tract
The urinary system consists of:
2 kidneys, 2 ureters, 1 bladder and 1 urethra.
-The blood supply is from the abdominal aorta.
Functions of the kidney:
-Homeostasis of water, electrolytes, acid/base
-Excretion of toxic metabolic waste products e.g. urea
-Hormonal functions include synthesis of renin and erythropoietin
-Metabolic function: vitamin D is converted to an active form.
Kidney structure:
-The outer (cortex) and inner (medulla)
-medullary pyramids
-hilum which is the site of entry and exit of renal blood vessels and ureter
-fibrous capsule surrounds the kidney, as well as a thick layer of fat
The nephron consists of:
Renal corpuscle- Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus (for plasma filtration)
Renal tubule- proximal convulated tubule, loop of Henle, distal convulated tubule and
collecting tubule. (For reabsorption)
The urinary system consists of:
2 kidneys, 2 ureters, 1 bladder and 1 urethra.
-The blood supply is from the abdominal aorta.
Functions of the kidney:
-Homeostasis of water, electrolytes, acid/base
-Excretion of toxic metabolic waste products e.g. urea
-Hormonal functions include synthesis of renin and erythropoietin
-Metabolic function: vitamin D is converted to an active form.
Kidney structure:
-The outer (cortex) and inner (medulla)
-medullary pyramids
-hilum which is the site of entry and exit of renal blood vessels and ureter
-fibrous capsule surrounds the kidney, as well as a thick layer of fat
The nephron consists of:
Renal corpuscle- Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus (for plasma filtration)
Renal tubule- proximal convulated tubule, loop of Henle, distal convulated tubule and
collecting tubule. (For reabsorption)
