Urogenital System

Waste products

Examples are carbon dioxide, nitrogenous wastes (urea) from protein metabolism, bile salts and pigments from red blood cells breakdown, and salts from tissue breakdown and excess intake

Routes for waste excretion

Respiratory, sweat glands, digestive system, and urinary system

Urinary system

Responsible for the elimination of water

Kidneys (2), ureters (2), urinary bladder, urethra

Urinary system contents

Kidney

Excretes metabolic waste from the body by filtration of plasma and to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance

Endocrine (renin and erythropoietin)

Kidney secondary function for blood pressure and RBC production

Retroperitoneal space, on each side of lumbar vertebrae (dorsal body wall)

Kidney location

Perirenal fat

Fat that surrounds the kidneys for protection

Right kidney

Portion of the kidney located further cranially with cranial extremity in contact with the caudate process of the liver

Left kidney

More mobile and pendulous, more likely to sag

Renal artery (inflow), renal vein (outflow), ureter

Hilus pathways

Renal cortex

Outer portion of the kidney; rough granular appearance

Renal medulla

Inner portion of the kidney around the renal pelvis

Hilus

Indented area on the medial side of the kidney where blood, lymph, vessels, nerves and ureters enter and leave

Renal pelcis

Funnel shaped area inside the hilus; urine collection chamber that forms the beginning of the ureter; has considerable stretch

Unilobar

Smooth surface and single renal papilla; dog, cat, horse, small ruminants have this

Multilobar

Smooth surface and multiple papilla internally (pigs); lobated surface and multiple papilla (cows)

Nephron

Functional unit of mamillian kidneys

Renal artery

Bloodflow directly off the abdominal aorta; enters kidney at the hilus

Renal vein

Bloodflow dumped into vena cava from kidney

Adrenal glands

Glands that sit cranial to the kidneys

Ureters

Tube that exits the kidney at the hilus and connects to the urinary bladder; composed of 3 layers (fibrous, muscular, and epithelial layer); continuation of the renal pelvis