Urinary System Components

Urinary System Components:

-Kidneys

-Ureters

-Urinary Bladder

-Urethra

urinary

tract

Functions:

1. Excretion (kidney):

remove organic wastes from blood

2. Elimination (UT):

discharge wastes to environment

3. Regulation of plasma volume and solute

concentration (kidney):

-blood volume, BP

-conc. of ions

-stabilize blood pH

-conserve nutrients

-assist liver: deamination, detoxification

4. Other kidney functions:

A. gluconeogenesis during starvation

B. produce renin (regulate BP)

C. produce erythropoietin (RBC production)

D. convert Vitamin D to calcitriol (Ca++

absorption in GI)

Kidneys

-1% body weight

-retroperitoneal, posterior abdominal wall

-adrenal gland anchored superior

-3 layers CT anchor kidneys:

1. Renal capsule: collagen fibers covering

organ

2. Adipose capsule: adipose cushion around

renal capsule

3. Renal fascia: collagen fibers fused to renal

capsule and deep fascia of body wall

and peritoneum

Renal ptosis = floating kidney: starvation or

injury, kidney loose from body wall,

could twist blood vessels or ureters

-Hilus: where renal

arteries, renal

veins, ureters

enter/exit

-Hilus opens to

renal sinus

-Renal sinus lined

with renal capsule,

contiguous with

outside

Kidney