Urinary System

Kidney Embryology

  • Pronephros
  • Mesonephros
  • Metanephros
    • Metanephric blastema
    • Metanephric diverticulum

Metanephric Blastema

  • Glomerulus
  • Renal tubules

Metanephric Diverticulum

  • Collecting ducts
  • Renal calyces
  • Renal pelvis
  • Ureter

Urinary Tract Embryology

Primordial Female Male
Urogenital sinus Urinary bladder Urinary bladder
  Proximal 1/3 urethra Prostatic urethra
  Middle 1/3 urethra Membranous urethra
Urogenital fold Distal 1/3 urethra Penile urethra

Hormones Acting on Kidney

Hormone Locations Effect
ANP Arterioles Vasodilation
Catecholamine Arterioles Vasoconstriction
Prostaglandin Afferent arteriole Vasodilation
Angiotensin Efferent arteriole Vasoconstriction
Angiotensin Proximal convoluted tubule Na reabsorption
Aldosterone Collecting tubule Na reabsorption
ADH Collecting tubule Water reabsorption
Parathyroid hormone Proximal convoluted tubule Phosphate secretion
Parathyroid hormone Distal convoluted tubule Ca reabsorption

Relative Concentrations Along Proximal Convoluted Tubules

Ion Channels of the Kidney

Loop of Henle

Distal Convoluted Tubule (DCT)

Filtration Fraction (FF)

Parameter FF = GFR ÷ RPF
GFR Glomerular filtration rate (mL/min)
RPF Renal plasma flow (mL/min)

Fractional Excretion (FE)

Parameter (UX ÷ UCr) ÷ (PX ÷ PCr)
UX Urine X
UCr Urine creatinine
PX Serum X
PCr Serum creatinine

Trans-tubular Potassium Gradient (TTKG)

Parameter (UK ÷ UOsmolality) ÷ (PK ÷ POsmolality)
UX Urine potassium (mEq/L)
UOsmolality Urine osmolality
PX Serum potassium (mEq/L)
POsmolality Serum osmolality

Cockcroft-Gault Equation of Creatinine Clearance

Parameter (140 – Age) × W ÷ (72 × Cr) × 0.85 (if female)
Age Age (year)
W Weight (kg)
Cr Serum creatinine (mg/dL)

MDRD Equation of Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Parameter 186 × Cr-1.154 × Age-0.203 × 1.212 (if black) × 0.742 (if female)
Age Age (year)
Cr Serum creatinine (mg/dL)