lOMoARcPSD|3013804
Urinary System
Human Anatomy And Physiology Ii (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
, lOMoARcPSD|3013804
Module 07 Lab Worksheet: Urinary System
Introduction
This week’s lab will examine the urinary system, the nephron, urine
formation and urine analysis.
Objectives
Objectives for this week’s lab include: 1) Identifying anatomical structures of
the urinary system, 2) define the function and role of a nephron, and 3) perform
analysis of your own urine.
Overview
The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra and
primarily functions to remove waste products from the blood and excrete them
out of the body. The urinary system also assists in the vital processes of blood
volume and blood pressure regulation along with electrolyte and acid-base
homeostasis.
The kidneys contain nephrons, which are the structural and functional units of
the kidneys. The nephrons consist of two components: The renal corpuscle and
renal tubule. The renal corpuscle is composed of the glomerulus, a dense,
condensed mass of capillary blood vessels that receives blood from an afferent
arteriole from the renal circulation. A capsule surrounds the glomerulus, called
the Bowman’s capsule that collects the fluids released from the glomerulus.
Basically, blood enters into the renal corpuscle section of the nephron and the
majority of the blood plasma and other various solutes are pushed out of the
glomerulus through the increased glomerular blood pressure and collected in
the Bowman’s capsule, which then is transferred to the other portion of the
nephron, the renal tubules, to be converted to urine. This collected fluid
resembles blood plasma except it shouldn’t contain plasma proteins or blood cells.
The renal tubule consists of an elongated tube divided into different portions
called the proximal convoluted tubule, Loop of Henle, and distal convoluted
tubule. The fluid collected in the Bowman’s capsule is transferred to the renal
tubule and in a basic concept, as the fluid flows through the renal tubules, the
compounds that body doesn’t want to excrete into the urine (such as water,
electrolytes, glucose, vitamins), will reabsorb those substances/compounds back
into the blood stream via the peritubular capillaries and vasa recta blood
vessels surrounding the renal tubules. Compounds that the body wants to
excrete and dispose of through the urine (such as nitrogenous waste products like
urea) will stay within the renal tubules and eventually be excreted from the
body. Each region of the renal tubule is specialized to reabsorb specific
nutrients, for example, the Loop of Henle anatomical is designed for water
reabsorption.
Urinary System
Human Anatomy And Physiology Ii (University of Nevada, Las Vegas)
, lOMoARcPSD|3013804
Module 07 Lab Worksheet: Urinary System
Introduction
This week’s lab will examine the urinary system, the nephron, urine
formation and urine analysis.
Objectives
Objectives for this week’s lab include: 1) Identifying anatomical structures of
the urinary system, 2) define the function and role of a nephron, and 3) perform
analysis of your own urine.
Overview
The urinary system consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra and
primarily functions to remove waste products from the blood and excrete them
out of the body. The urinary system also assists in the vital processes of blood
volume and blood pressure regulation along with electrolyte and acid-base
homeostasis.
The kidneys contain nephrons, which are the structural and functional units of
the kidneys. The nephrons consist of two components: The renal corpuscle and
renal tubule. The renal corpuscle is composed of the glomerulus, a dense,
condensed mass of capillary blood vessels that receives blood from an afferent
arteriole from the renal circulation. A capsule surrounds the glomerulus, called
the Bowman’s capsule that collects the fluids released from the glomerulus.
Basically, blood enters into the renal corpuscle section of the nephron and the
majority of the blood plasma and other various solutes are pushed out of the
glomerulus through the increased glomerular blood pressure and collected in
the Bowman’s capsule, which then is transferred to the other portion of the
nephron, the renal tubules, to be converted to urine. This collected fluid
resembles blood plasma except it shouldn’t contain plasma proteins or blood cells.
The renal tubule consists of an elongated tube divided into different portions
called the proximal convoluted tubule, Loop of Henle, and distal convoluted
tubule. The fluid collected in the Bowman’s capsule is transferred to the renal
tubule and in a basic concept, as the fluid flows through the renal tubules, the
compounds that body doesn’t want to excrete into the urine (such as water,
electrolytes, glucose, vitamins), will reabsorb those substances/compounds back
into the blood stream via the peritubular capillaries and vasa recta blood
vessels surrounding the renal tubules. Compounds that the body wants to
excrete and dispose of through the urine (such as nitrogenous waste products like
urea) will stay within the renal tubules and eventually be excreted from the
body. Each region of the renal tubule is specialized to reabsorb specific
nutrients, for example, the Loop of Henle anatomical is designed for water
reabsorption.
