Problem Set 1
1. The urinary system is composed of a pair of kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and the
urethra. The kidneys carry out fluid homeostasis, filtration of wastes and homeostasis of blood
volume and chemical makeup. The ureters are tubes which transport the urine from kidney to
bladder. The bladder stores urine. The urethra carries the urine out of the body.
2. The adult kidney is bean shaped, about the size of a can of soup and weighs about 5 ounces.
3. The right kidney is located in the lumbar region between the T-12 and L-3 vertebra. It lies lower
than the left kidney because of the liver's location just above it.
4. The renal sinus is the space within the kidney near the cleft called the renal hilus. It is the entry
point of the ureters, blood vessels, and nerves.
5. 1 = renal cortex 2 = renal medulla 3 = adipose capsule 4 = renal fascia
5 = renal capsule 6 = ureter 7 = renal pelvis 8 = renal vein/artery
9 = renal hilus 10 = calyx
6. (1) The renal capsule is a tough fibrous outer skin which protects it from injury and infection.
(2) The adipose capsule is a fatty layer that protects the kidney from trauma.
(3) The outer renal fascia is dense fibrous connective tissue which keeps the kidney in place inside
the abdominal cavity.
7. The renal cortex contains the glomerular capsule and the distal and convoluted tubules and blood
vessels. The renal medulla contains the Loop of Henle, the collecting ducts and blood vessels. The
renal pelvis connects to the ureter and has extensions called calyces which collect urine.
8. The renal pelvis is the centermost section of the kidneyand is a funnel-shaped tube that connects
to the ureter. Extensions of the pelvis called calyces collect urine which drains into the renal pelvis
and then into the ureter.
9. About 1200 ml of blood per minute of blood flows into the kidney so that all of the blood can be
filetred.
10. (1) Renal artery, (2) Segmental artery, (3) Lobar artery, (4) Interlobar artery, (5) Arcuate artery,
(6) Interlobular artery, (7) Afferent arteriole, (8) Glomerular capillaries, (9) Efferent arteriole, (10)
, Peritubular or Vasa recta capillaries, (11) Interlobular vein, (12) Arcuate vein, (13) Interlobar vein,
(14) Renal vein
Problem Set 2
11. The kidney filters the blood, reabsorbs needed materials and excretes the rest as urine.
12. The main functions of the kidney are to control the concentration of water and soluble materials,
eliminate wastes from the body, regulate blood volume, pH and pressure and control levels of
electrolytes
13. A nephron is made up of the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle filters the
blood and the renal tubule reabsorbs needed materials.
14. The collecting ducts carry urine away from the nephron to be excreted.
15. The renal corpuscle is composed of the glomerulus, a network of tiny blood capillaries
surrounded by the Bowman's capsule, a double-walled simple squamous epithelial cup.
16. The glomerular capillaries are the only capillaries in the body which lie between two arterioles
rather than between an artery and a vein.
17. The afferent arteriole which runs into the glomerular capillaries is much larger in diameter than
the efferent arteriole which drains the glomerular capillaries causing an extremely high blood
pressure in the glomerular capillaries. This high pressure forces water and solutes out of the blood
and into the glomerular capsule causing the glomerulus to act as a filter.
18. The first section of the renal tubule is the proximal convoluted tubule which is specialized to
reabsorb water and many solutes from the glomerular filtrate and secrete certain unwanted
substances. The second section is the loop of Henle which allows water loss and salt (NaCl) loss.
The last part of the tubule is the distal convoluted tubule which allows hormonally controlled
reabsorption of water and solutes but mostly secretion of unwanted substances. The urine then
drains into collecting ducts which join to form papillary ducts which drain into the calyces and
subsequently into the renal pelvis and out of the kidney by way of the ureter.
1. The urinary system is composed of a pair of kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and the
urethra. The kidneys carry out fluid homeostasis, filtration of wastes and homeostasis of blood
volume and chemical makeup. The ureters are tubes which transport the urine from kidney to
bladder. The bladder stores urine. The urethra carries the urine out of the body.
2. The adult kidney is bean shaped, about the size of a can of soup and weighs about 5 ounces.
3. The right kidney is located in the lumbar region between the T-12 and L-3 vertebra. It lies lower
than the left kidney because of the liver's location just above it.
4. The renal sinus is the space within the kidney near the cleft called the renal hilus. It is the entry
point of the ureters, blood vessels, and nerves.
5. 1 = renal cortex 2 = renal medulla 3 = adipose capsule 4 = renal fascia
5 = renal capsule 6 = ureter 7 = renal pelvis 8 = renal vein/artery
9 = renal hilus 10 = calyx
6. (1) The renal capsule is a tough fibrous outer skin which protects it from injury and infection.
(2) The adipose capsule is a fatty layer that protects the kidney from trauma.
(3) The outer renal fascia is dense fibrous connective tissue which keeps the kidney in place inside
the abdominal cavity.
7. The renal cortex contains the glomerular capsule and the distal and convoluted tubules and blood
vessels. The renal medulla contains the Loop of Henle, the collecting ducts and blood vessels. The
renal pelvis connects to the ureter and has extensions called calyces which collect urine.
8. The renal pelvis is the centermost section of the kidneyand is a funnel-shaped tube that connects
to the ureter. Extensions of the pelvis called calyces collect urine which drains into the renal pelvis
and then into the ureter.
9. About 1200 ml of blood per minute of blood flows into the kidney so that all of the blood can be
filetred.
10. (1) Renal artery, (2) Segmental artery, (3) Lobar artery, (4) Interlobar artery, (5) Arcuate artery,
(6) Interlobular artery, (7) Afferent arteriole, (8) Glomerular capillaries, (9) Efferent arteriole, (10)
, Peritubular or Vasa recta capillaries, (11) Interlobular vein, (12) Arcuate vein, (13) Interlobar vein,
(14) Renal vein
Problem Set 2
11. The kidney filters the blood, reabsorbs needed materials and excretes the rest as urine.
12. The main functions of the kidney are to control the concentration of water and soluble materials,
eliminate wastes from the body, regulate blood volume, pH and pressure and control levels of
electrolytes
13. A nephron is made up of the renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle filters the
blood and the renal tubule reabsorbs needed materials.
14. The collecting ducts carry urine away from the nephron to be excreted.
15. The renal corpuscle is composed of the glomerulus, a network of tiny blood capillaries
surrounded by the Bowman's capsule, a double-walled simple squamous epithelial cup.
16. The glomerular capillaries are the only capillaries in the body which lie between two arterioles
rather than between an artery and a vein.
17. The afferent arteriole which runs into the glomerular capillaries is much larger in diameter than
the efferent arteriole which drains the glomerular capillaries causing an extremely high blood
pressure in the glomerular capillaries. This high pressure forces water and solutes out of the blood
and into the glomerular capsule causing the glomerulus to act as a filter.
18. The first section of the renal tubule is the proximal convoluted tubule which is specialized to
reabsorb water and many solutes from the glomerular filtrate and secrete certain unwanted
substances. The second section is the loop of Henle which allows water loss and salt (NaCl) loss.
The last part of the tubule is the distal convoluted tubule which allows hormonally controlled
reabsorption of water and solutes but mostly secretion of unwanted substances. The urine then
drains into collecting ducts which join to form papillary ducts which drain into the calyces and
subsequently into the renal pelvis and out of the kidney by way of the ureter.
