Ch 6 Urinary System

Nephrons

The structural and functional unit of the kidney

Cystitis

An inflammation of the urinary bladder

Papillary Necrosis

A destructive process involving a varying amount of the medullary papillae and the terminal portion of the renal pyramids

Pyelonephritis

A supportive inflammation of the kidney and renal pelvis

Oliguria

A smaller-than-normal amount of urine

Glomerulonephritis

A non-supportive inflammatory process involving the tufts of capillaries (glomeruli) that filter the blood within the kidney

Hydronephrosis

Caused by a blockage above the level of the bladder

Posterior Urethral Valves (PUV)

Thin transverse membranes in the urethra

Ureterocele

A cyclic dilation of the distal ureter near its insertion into the bladder

Horseshoe fusion

Kidneys fused at the lower poles

Ectopic Kidney

Abnormal position, such as in the pelvic (pelvic kidney) or high near the diaphragm (intrathoracic kidney)

Compensatory hypertrophy

Term applied to an acquired condition that occurs when one kidney is required to do the job of two

Glomerulus

Where urine formation begins

Unilateral renal agenesis

A congenital anomaly in which only one kidney forms

Hypoplastic kidney

Appears as a miniature replica of a normal kidney, with good function

Staghorn calculus

When renal calculus completely fill the renal pelvis

Nephrocalcinosis

When calcium deposits are within the renal parenchyma

Renal cell carcinoma

Known as hypernephroma

Wilma Tumor (Nephroblastoma)

The most common abdominal neoplasm of infancy and childhood