Animal Anatomy: Urinary System

List the main functions performed by kidneys.

filtration, absorption, and excretion

Name the animal that has lobulated appearance of kidneys externally.

cows

In which animal is the right kidney heart shaped?

horses

Which kidney in most animals is located more cranial and embedded in one of the lobes of liver?

right kidney

What is renal hilus?

depression on the medial border of the kidney

What is renal pelvis?

expanded part of the ureter within the kidney

Name the two major parts of the kidney that you can see grossly when you cut open the kidney.

the cortex and medulla

Name the animals that have multipyramidal and name the animals that have unipyramidal arrangements of internal structure of kidneys.

pigs have multipyramidal structures, cats and dogs have unipyramidal structures

Name the basic and structural function of the kidney.

nephron

List all the parts of a nephron.

glomerulus, renal capsule, proximal convoluted tubule, distal convoluted tubule, loop of Henle, and the collecting duct

What is glomerulus?

network of capillaries interposed in the course of an arteriole

Name the structures that form a renal corpuscle.

glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule

Name the site where filtration occur in the kidneys.

renal corpuscle

Which part of the nephron reabsorbs largest amounts of substances of filtrate?

proximal convoluted tubule

Which part of the nephron contains the most concentrated urine?

loop of Henle

Which part of the nephron helps in maximum excretion of substances from kidneys.

distal convoluted tubule

Name the hormone that affects water reabsorption at distal convoluted tubules.

anti-diuretic hormone

Name the main artery that supplies blood to the kidneys.

left and right renal arteries

Name the capillaries that surrounds most parts of the nephron and help in reabsorption and excretion.

pertubular capillaries

What prevents the back flow of urine from the bladder to the ureter or kidney?

the oblique angle of the ureter to the bladder, which forms a functional valve

What type of epithelium makes inner lining of ureter and urinary bladder?

transitional epithelium

Name the type of smooth muscle found in walls of urinary bladder.

detrusor muscles

What is cystocentesis?

puncture of the bladder with needle and syringe to pull sterile urine

What is clinical importance of external urethral orifice?

placement of urinary catheter

What makes urethra more prone to blockage in male cats and dogs?

the urethra is longer, curved, and runs into the penis

before opening into the exterior

Name the instrument used to measure the specific gravity of urine.

refractometer

What is the normal specific gravity of urine in dogs and cats?

1.016–1.060 for dogs and 1.020–1.040 for cats

Name the parameters that are measured on a dipstick test.

pH, presence of protein, glucose, ketones, bilirubin, urobilinogen, red blood cells, and white blood cells

What is normal pH of urine in dogs and cats?

7.0–7.5 in dogs and 6.3–6.6 in cats

What are the three 'C's you look for when you do sedimentation or microscopic examination of urine?

crystals, casts, and cells