Urinary and Digestive Systems Study Guide for Lab Practical

Parts of a Nephron

Renal corpuscle
- Glomerulus
- Glomerular capsule ( or Bowman's capsule)
Proximal convoluted tubule
Nephron loop
- Descending limb of nephron loop
-Ascending limb of nephron loop
Distal convoluted loop
Collecting duct

hilum

indented opening in the kidney where vessels (and nerves) enter and leave; indentation on the medial side of the kidney where the ureter leaves the kidney.

renal cortex

outer layer/region of the kidney

renal sinus

space (hollow chamber) within kidney that is adjacent to renal medulla, contains calyces and renal pelvis

renal column

area of cortical tissue running between the medullary pyramids; inward extensions of the cortex tissue separating the renal pyramids.

renal medulla made of renal pyramids

the innermost part of the kidney. The renal medulla is split up into a number of sections, known as the renal pyramids; Renal pyramids are cone-shaped tissues of the kidney. the renal medulla is made up of 10 to 18 of these conical subdivisions. The broad base of each pyramid faces the renal cortex, papilla (apex), and points internally towards the pelvis.

renal papilla

apex or tip of renal pyramid

major calyx

urine passageway: The cavity formed by the convergence of several minor calyces, which drain urine from the minor calyxes into the renal pelvis

minor calyx

cup-shape that surrounds pyramids and encircles the papilla of each pyramid; collects its urine.

renal pelvis

funnel-shaped reservoir that collects the urine and passes it to the ureter

ureter

tube that carries urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder

female urinary bladder

hollow, muscular sac that holds and stores urine

male urinary bladder

The base of the urinary bladder is between the rectum and the symphysis pubis; prostate gland surrounds the neck inferiorly.

female urethra

approximately 1.5 inches long

ureters

tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

pararenal fat

outermost layer between renal fascia and peritoneum

lips

form the opening to the oral cavity; cheil/o

oral cavity

The part of the mouth behind the gums and teeth that is bounded above by the hard and soft palates and below by the tongue and by the mucous membrane connecting it with the inner part of the mandible.

hard palate

bony anterior (front) portion of the palate

soft palate

muscular posterior (back) portion of the palate; not supported by bone

pharynx

throat; passageway for food to the esophagus and air to the larynx; the membrane-lined cavity behind the nose and mouth, connecting them to the esophagus.

oropharynx

central portion of the pharynx between the roof of the mouth and the upper edge of the epiglottis

laryngopharynx

lower part of the pharynx, just below the oropharyngeal opening into the larynx and esophagus

parotid salivary glands

ventral to the ear canals; located below the ears.

sublingual salivary glands

found under the tongue

submandibular salivary gland

under the mandible; salivary gland inside the lower jaw on either side that produces most of the nocturnal saliva;

esophagus

muscular tube that connects the mouth to the stomach.

stomach

muscular and elastic sac that serves mainly to store food, break it up mechanically, and begin chemical digestion of proteins and fat; large muscular sac that continues the mechanical and chemical digestion of food

greater omentum

a fatty sheet that hangs like an apron over the abdominal viscera; large apron-like fold of visceral peritoneum that hangs down from the stomach

duodenum

first section/part of the small intestine

small intestine

Digestive organ where most chemical digestion and absorption of food takes place

mesentery of small intestine

attaches the small intestine to the posterior abdominal wall; holds many blood vessels

ascending colon

the part of the large intestine that ascends from the cecum to the transverse colon; travels upward from the cecum to the undersurface of the liver

transverse colon

the middle part of the large intestine, passing across the abdomen from right to left toward the spleen and below the stomach.

descending colon

the part of the large intestine that extends downward from the transverse colon on the left side of the abdominal cavity to the sigmoid colon

sigmoid colon

an S-shaped structure that continues from the descending colon above and joins with the rectum below

liver

produces bile (emulsifies fat) and stores glycogen

gallbladder

A muscular sac attached to the liver that secretes bile and stores it until needed for digestion

falciform ligament

Structure that separates right and left lobes of liver; ligament that attaches part of the liver to the diaphragm and the abdominal wall

pancreas

organ in the abdominal cavity with two roles.
1. exocrine role: to produce digestive enzymes and bicarbonate, which are delivered to the small intestine via the pancreatic duct.
2. endocrine role: to secrete insulin and glucagon into the bloodstream to help regulate blood glucose levels.

rectum

short tube at the end of the large intestine where waste material is compressed into a solid form before being eliminated from the anus.