Urinary system

Urinary system major organs

• Kidneys

• Ureters

• Bladder

• Urethra

Kidney function

• Filter blood

• Regulate blood and urine composition

Ureters function

Transports urine

Bladder function

Stores urine

Urethra function

Takes urine from bladder to out of body

Urinary system functions

• Maintain homeostasis

• Maintain water balance, blood pH, and blood pressure

• Removes nitrogenous wastes

Osmoregulation defintion

The body’s ability to maintain a healthy balance of water and solutes in the blood

What happens if there is no osmoregulation / what does this mean?

• Meaning: there is no balance of water and solutes in blood

• Hypertonic solutions = shriveled cells

• Hypotonic solutions = bursting cells

• Denaturation of enzymes

• Shutdown of nerves

Nephron definition

The basic filtering unit of the kidney

Loop of henle structure/function

• Creates a salt gradient across its membrane

• Allows water to be pulled in/out of filtrate when needed based on concentration

  • Descending limb:

    • Premeable to water so water leaves making filtrate concentrated

  • Ascending limb:

    • Impermeable to water so water stays, salt leaves, making filtrate dilute

ADH (andidiuretic hormone) what is it / function / purpose

• Hormone produced in the brain

• When ADH produced:

  • Sent to kidneys to tell them to reabsorb water into bloodstream

• When ADH signals are stopped

  • Kidneys do not reabsorb water back into bloodstream leading to dehydration

Collecting duct purpose

• The final location of water reabsorption

• Regulated by ADH

  • ADH present = more water reabsorbed = more aquaporins = more osmosis

  • ADH not present = less water reabsorbed = aquaporins taken out = less osmosis

Glomerulus

Network of capillaries that filter blood from renal vein & artery

Bowman’s Capsule

Cup-shaped structure that contains glomerulus and collects the filtered liquid called “filtrate”

Renal Corpuscle

Starting segment of nephron contains glomerulus and bowman’s capsule

Renal Tubule

A long tube in nephron that processes filtrate, contains proximal convoluted tubule, loop of henle, distal convoluted tubule, collecting duct

PCT (proximal convoluted tubule)

reabsorption of water, glucose, and ions back into blood

DCT (Distal Convoluted Tubule)

reabsorption and secretion of water and electrolytes

Nephron parts

• Glomerulus

• Bowman’s Capsule

• PCT

• Loop of Henle

• DCT

Nephron parts

• Renal Corpuscle

• Renal Tubule

Urine composition

• Water

• Urea

• Creatine

• Ions

What should not be in urine

• Glucose

• Blood cells

• Protein

What is a UTI

Bacterial infection of the urethra, bladder, or kidneys from bacteria getting into urinary tract and irritating the lining