How Kidneys Produce Urine

1. Blood enters the kidneys through right & left renal arteries

2. Arterioles carry blood to the capillaries

3. Glomeruli filter the blood

Glomerulus and Glomerular/Bowman Capsule

• Blood passes through glomeruli

• Glomerular (Bowman) capsule surrounds each glomerulus

• Renal tubule attached to each Bowman capsule

  • All collecting tubules lead to the renal pelvis

    • Calyces or Calices; small cuplike regions of the renal pelvis

The glomerulus and a renal tubule combine to from a nephron

Urine Formation Steps

1. Glomerular Filtration (water, sugar, wastes, salts)

2. Tubular Reabsorption (water, sugar, sodium)

3. Tubular Secretion (acids, potassium, drugs)

Kidney Functions

• Remove nitrogenous wastes

• Balance water and electrolytes

• Release hormones

• Degrade and eliminate hormones

Urinalysis Test

1. Color

2. Appearance

3. pH

4. Protein

5. Glucose

6. Specific gravity

7. Ketone bodies

8. Sediment

9. Phenylketonuria

10. Bilirubin

Pathological Conditions

Kidney

• Glomerulonephritis

• Interstitial nephritis

• Nephrolithiasis

• Nephrotic syndrome

• Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) - kidney contains masses of cysts, weight 20x more the usual weight

• Pyelonephritis

• Renal cell carcinoma

• Renal failure

• Renal hypertension

• Wilms tumor

Urinary Bladder

• Bladder cancer

Associated Conditions

• Diabetes insipidus (DI)

• Diabetes mellitus (DM)

Laboratory Tests and Clinical Procedures

X-Ray Studies

• CT Urography

• Kidneys, ureters, & bladder (KUB)

• Renal angiography

• Retrograde pyelogram (RP)

• Voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG)

Other Clinical Procedures

• Cystoscopy

• Dialysis

• Lithotripsy

• Renal Angioplasty

• Renal Biopsy

• Renal Transplantation

• Urinary Catheterization

• Hemodialysis

• Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)