Kidneys

The kidneys are a pair of

brownish-red structures located
retroperitoneally (behind and
outside the peritoneal cavity) on
the posterior wall of the
abdomen from the 12th thoracic
vertebra to the 3rd lumbar
vertebra in the adult
 Kidneys
• An adult kidney weighs 120 to
170 g (about 4.5 oz) and is 12
(about 4.5 inches) long, 6 cm
wide, and 2.5 cm thick.

•The kidneys are well protected

by the ribs, muscles, Gerota’s
fascia, perirenal fat, and the
renal capsule, which surround
each kidney.
 Kidneys
The kidney consists of
two distinct regions:
Renal Parenchyma

Renal Pelvis
 Kidneys
Nephrons
Each kidney contains about 1
million nephrons, the functional
units of the kidney. Each kidney is
capable of providing adequate
renal function if the opposite
kidney is damaged or becomes
nonfunctional.
 Kidneys
Nephrons
• The nephron consists of a glomerulus
containing afferent and efferent
arterioles, Bowman’s capsule, proximal
tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule, and
collecting ducts.

• Collecting ducts converge into papillae,

which empty into the minor calices, which
drain into three major calices that open
directly into the renal pelvis.
Kidneys
 Ureters
Urine, which is formed within the
nephrons, flows into the ureter, a
long fibromuscular tube that
connects each kidney to the bladder.

The ureters are narrow, muscular

tubes, each 24 to 30 cm long, that
originate at the lower portion of the
renal pelvis and terminate in the
trigone of the bladder wall.
 Ureters
There are three narrowed areas
of each ureter:

ureteropelvic junction

ureteral segment

ureterovesical junction
Ureters
Ureters functions as
tubes that actively
convey urine from the
kidneys to the bladder.
 Bladder
The urinary bladder is a
muscular, hollow sac located just
behind the pubic bone.

The bladder is characterized

by its central, hollow area called
the vesicle, which has two inlets
(the ureters) and one outlet (the
urethrovesical junction), which
is surrounded by the bladder
neck.
 Bladder
Adult bladder capacity is
about 300 to 600 mL of
urine. In infancy, the
bladder is found within the
abdomen. In adolescence
and through adulthood, the
bladder assumes its
position in the true pelvis.
 Urethra
The urethra arises from the base
of the bladder: In the male, it
passes through the penis; in the
female, it opens just anterior to
the vagina.

In the male, the prostate gland,

which lies just below the bladder
neck, surrounds the urethra
posteriorly and laterally.
 Urethra
The urethra is a muscular tube
that drains urine from the body; it
is 3–4 cm long in females, but
closer to 20 cm in males.
FUNCTIONS OF
KIDNEY
 FUNCTIONS OF KIDNEY
excretory function
homeostatic function
endocrine function
metabolic function
 EXCRETORY FUNCTION
• This include formation and excretion of urine.
• The main step involved are
– Glomerular filtration
– Tubular reabsorption
– Tubular secretion
 Filtration
• Renal corpuscle
• Filtration membrane
– Fenestrated endothelium of capillaries
– Basement membrane of glomerulus
– Slit membrane between pedicels of podocytes

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 Forces that influence filtration
• Glomerular blood hydrostatic pressure

• Opposing forces:
– Plasma colloid osmotic pressure
– Capsular hydrostatic pressure

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 Glomerular Filtration Rate
• Volume of plasma filtered / unit time
• Approx. 180 L /day
• Urine output is about 1- 2 L /day
• About 99% of filtrate is reabsorbed

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 GFR influenced by:
• Blood pressure and blood flow
• Obstruction to urine outflow
• Loss of protein-free fluid
• Hormonal regulation
– Renin – angiotensin
– Aldosterone
– ADH
– ANP

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 Juxtaglomerular apparatus
• Juxtaglomerular cells lie in the wall of afferent
arteriole
• Macula densa in final portion of loop of Henle
– monitor Na+ and Cl- conc. and water
• Control blood flow into the glomerulus
• Control glomerular filtration

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 Tubular reabsorption
• Water, glucose, amino acids, urea, ions
• Sodium diffuses into cell; actively pumped out
– drawing water with it

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• In addition to reabsorption, also have tubular
secretion – substances move from peritubular
capillaries into tubules – a second chance to
remove substances from blood.

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• By end of proximal tubule have reabsorbed:
• 60- 70% of water and sodium
• about 100% of glucose and amino acids
• 90 % of K+, bicarb, Ca++, uric acid
• Transport maximum – maximum amount of a
substance that can be absorbed per unit time
• Renal threshold – plasma conc. of a substance
at which it exceeds Tm.

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 Loop of Henle
• Responsible for producing a concentrated
urine by forming a concentration gradient
within the medulla of kidney.
• When ADH is present, water is reabsorbed
and urine is concentrated.
• Counter-current multiplier

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 Distal convoluted tubule and collecting
ducts
• What happens here depends on ADH
• Aldosterone affects Na+ and K+
• ADH – facultative water reabsorption
• Parathyroid hormone – increases Ca++
reabsorption

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 Distal convoluted tubule and collecting
ducts
• Tubular secretion to rid body of substances:
K+, H+, urea, ammonia, creatinine and certain
drugs
• Secretion of H+ helps maintain blood pH
(can also reabsorb bicarb and generate new
bicarb)

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 Homeostatic Functions of Urinary
System
1. Regulate blood volume and blood pressure:
– by adjusting volume of water lost in urine
– releasing erythropoietin and renin

2. Regulate plasma ion concentrations:

– sodium, potassium, and chloride ions (by controlling
quantities lost in urine)
– calcium ion levels
3. Help stabilize blood pH:
– by controlling loss of hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions in
urine

4. Conserve valuable nutrients:

– by preventing excretion while excreting organic waste
products

5. Assist liver to detoxify poisons

ENDOCRINE FUNCTIONS…
 Kidneys have primary endocrine function since they
produce hormones
 In addition, the kidneys are site of degradation for
hormones such as insulin and aldosterone.
 In their primary endocrine function, the kidneys
produce erythropoietin, renin and prostaglandin.
 Erythropoietin is secreted in response to a lowered
oxygen content in the blood. It acts on bone marrow,
stimulating the production of red blood cells.
 Renin -the primary stimuli for renin release include
reduction of renal perfusion pressure and hyponatremia.
Renin release is also influenced by angiotension II and
ADH.

 It is a key stimulus of aldosterone release. The effect of

aldosterone is predominantly on the distal tubular
network, effecting an increase in sodium reabsorption in
exchange for potassium.

 The kidneys are primarily responsible for producing

vitamin D3 from dihydroxycholecalciferol
 METABOLIC FUNCTION
• Kidney perform gluconiogenesis during
periods of starvation.
Thank
you.