Urinary System Overview

The functional unit of the kidney, responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.

The initial part of the nephron, composed of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, where filtration occurs.

A network of capillaries within the Bowman's capsule, where blood is filtered.

The double-walled sac surrounding the glomerulus, collecting the filtered fluid.

A long tube that extends from Bowman's capsule, responsible for reabsorbing necessary substances and secreting waste.

The process by which water and small solutes from the blood move into the nephron's lumen.

The process by which useful substances move from the nephron's lumen back into the blood.

The process by which waste products move from the blood into the nephron's lumen.

A specialized barrier that separates blood in the glomerulus from the Bowman's capsule, controlling what gets filtered.

The main components of the glomerular filtration barrier are the glomerular capillary endothelium, the basement membrane, and the podocyte's filtration slits.

Junction between squamous and mucus-secreting columnar epithelium of the cervix.

Remodelling and collagen removal of the connective tissue of the cervix prior to childbirth. It softens the cervix and allows the cervical canal to dilate.

The initial stage of oogenesis where oogonia differentiate into larger cells called primary oocytes.

Production of two haploid daughter cells from a primary oocyte. Happens during the first meiotic division of oogenesis.

The completion of meiosis II in oogenesis only occurs upon fertilization.

The first 5 days of the endometrial cycle marked by shedding of the functional layer of the endometrium, triggered by a decrease in progesterone and estrogen.

The phase of the menstrual cycle where the dominant follicle in the ovary starts to grow. It is triggered by FSH.

The release of the secondary oocyte from the ovary. It is triggered by LH.

The phase of the menstrual cycle where the corpus luteum is formed after ovulation. It is stimulated by LH and produces progesterone.

The highly coiled tubes in the testes responsible for producing sperm cells. They contain the germinal epithelium, Sertoli cells, and Leydig cells.

Finger-like projections of the mucosa, covered by simple columnar epithelium with enterocytes and goblet cells.

Microscopic projections on the apical surface of enterocytes, forming a brush-like border for increased absorption.

Long, tubular glands found in the stomach, responsible for producing gastric juice.

Cells found in the fundic glands, producing hydrochloric acid (HCl) and intrinsic factor.

A protein secreted by parietal cells, essential for the absorption of vitamin B12 in the ileum.

Cells found in the fundic glands, responsible for producing pepsinogen, a precursor to the digestive enzyme pepsin.

Cells found in the gastric pits, responsible for producing mucus, which protects the stomach lining from its acidic environment.

Cells found in the base of the crypts of Lieberkühn, secreting lysozyme, phospholipase A2, and defensins, which have antimicrobial properties.

Specialized epithelial cells in the ileum, involved in the transport of antigens from the lumen to the underlying lymphoid tissue.

Small, tubular glands found in the small intestine, responsible for secreting digestive enzymes and mucus.

Aggregates of lymphoid tissue found in the submucosa of the small intestine, particularly in the ileum, which are important for immune responses.

A small, finger-shaped projection extending from the cecum, containing lymphoid tissue, which functions in immune defense.

Compound coiled tubular glands found in the duodenum, responsible for secreting alkaline mucus that neutralizes chyme entering from the stomach.

Longitudinal bands of smooth muscle that run along the length of the large intestine, responsible for its characteristic segmentation.

The functional unit of the liver, composed of hepatocytes arranged in plates around a central vein.