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17: The Urinary System

  • Page ID
    128650
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    • 17.1: Introduction to the Urinary System
      This chapter will help you to understand the gross and microscopic anatomy of the urinary system and how blood flow through the kidney.
    • 17.2: Overview of the Kidney
      The kidneys lie on either side of the spine in the retroperitoneal space between the parietal peritoneum and the posterior abdominal wall, well protected by muscle, fat, and ribs.  Each kidney has an outer cortex and an inner medulla.  Because the function of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood, kidneys are well vascularized, receiving about 25 percent of the cardiac output at rest.
    • 17.3: Microscopic Anatomy of the Kidney
      The renal structures that conduct the essential work of the kidney cannot be seen by the naked eye. Only a light or electron microscope can reveal these structures. Even then, serial sections and computer reconstruction are necessary to give us a comprehensive view of the functional anatomy of the nephron and its associated blood vessels.
    • 17.4: Urine Formation and Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)
      Having reviewed the anatomy and microanatomy of the urinary system, now is the time to focus on the physiology. You will discover that different parts of the nephron utilize specific processes to produce urine: filtration, reabsorption, and secretion. You will learn how each of these processes works and where they occur along the nephron and collecting ducts. The physiologic goal is to modify the composition of the plasma and, in doing so, produce the waste product urine.
    • 17.5: Tubular Reabsorption and Secretion
      With up to 180 liters per day passing through the nephrons of the kidney, it is quite obvious that most of that fluid and its contents must be reabsorbed. That recovery occurs in the PCT, loop of Henle, DCT, and the collecting ducts ). Various portions of the nephron differ in their capacity to reabsorb water and specific solutes.
    • 17.6: Endocrine Regulation of Kidney Function
      Several hormones have specific, important roles in regulating kidney function. They act to stimulate or inhibit blood flow. Some of these are endocrine, acting from a distance, whereas others are paracrine, acting locally.
    • 17.7: Review Questions


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