MD2011 Week 5 HRM Development of The Urinary Tract Notes

Development of the
Urinary Tract
MD 2010
Dr Monika Zimanyi
Senior Lecturer
Department of Anatomy and Pathology
School of Medicine and Dentistry
James Cook University
monika.zimanyi@jcu.edu.au
Objectives
After watching this video on the Development of the Urinary System, students will be
able to:
• Describe how the three sets of kidneys develop

• Review branching morphogenesis
• Describe nephrogenesis
• Briefly describe the development of the ureters and the urinary bladder
Gastrulation
• During gastrulation a bilaminar
embryonic disc converted into a
trilaminar embryonic disc
Moore & Persaud 2003 The developing Human: Clinically oriented embryology. 7th Ed. Saunders
Development of the Urinary System
• Mesoderm
• Paraxial
• Intermediate
• Lateral plate mesoderm
• Intermediate mesoderm gives rise to
nephric structures, parts of gonads &
male genital duct systems
The Urogenital System
• Kidneys
• Ureters
• Bladder
• Urethra
• Gonads
Development of the Kidneys
• Three sets of excretory organs develop:
• Pronephroi
• Mesonephroi
• Metanephroi
Pronephroi
• Are transient & without excretory
capacity in humans
• Begin to develop in week 4 in the cervical
region
• Pronephric duct is continuous with the
mesonephric duct (Wolffian duct)
• Degenerate
Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mesonephroi
• Large, elongated excretory organs appear
late in week 4
• Open into the mesonephric ducts and the
cloaca
• Function briefly

Mesonephroi
• Consist of glomeruli & mesonephric
tubules
• Well developed and function as interim
kidneys
• Degenerates towards the end of first
trimester,
• In ♀ completely
• In ♂ the tubules become efferent
ductules of testes

Metanephroi
• Begin to develop early 5th
week
• Foetal kidney begins to
produce urine around week 10
• Urine is excreted into the
amniotic cavity, is swallowed
and absorbed by the GIT
• Permanent kidneys develop
from 2 sources:
• Metanephric diverticulum
(ureteric bud)
• Metanephric mesenchyme

(modified from Saxen, 1987)
Signals from metanephric mesenchyme induce branching morphogenesis

Signals from ureteric epithelial tips induce nephrogenesis
Nephrogenesis
Moritz et al. Adv Anat

Embryol Cell Biol. 2008
Metanephroi
• Ureteric bud gives rise to:
• Collecting ducts
• Calyces
• Renal pelvis
• Ureter
• Metanephric mesenchyme gives rise to:
• Nephron
• Renal corpuscle
• Proximal convoluted tubule
• Loop of Henle
• Distal convoluted tubule
• Interstitium
Positional Changes
• Initially kidneys lie in pelvis with hilum
facing ventrally
• Caudal structures grow away from kidneys
• Kidneys rotate medially ~90O
• Final position reached by ~9 weeks and
hilum faces anteromedially

Changes in Blood Supply
• Blood supply comes from nearby vessels
• Caudal branches undergo involution and
disappear
• When they come into contact with the
suprarenal glands their “ascent” stops
• Permanent renal arteries are branches
of the abdominal aorta

Development of the Ureters
• Derived from ureteric bud
• Portion of ureteric bud that does not
penetrate metanephric mesenchyme
develops into ureter
• First 2-4 generations form renal pelvis
• Smooth muscle cell development in mouse Proximal Middle Distal
ureter starts at proximal end &
differentiates along length of ureter
• Pacemaker cells within renal pelvis
establish unidirectional peristalsis of
ureters E12.5
• Urogenital abnormalities are associated
with abnormal development of smooth
muscle cells in the ureters
eg. hydroureter & hydronephrosis
E15.5
P75
• Simple cuboidal epithelium of ureter differentiates into a transitional epithelium
(urothelium)
• Urothelium acts as a barrier to protect cells from urine toxicity
Development of the Urinary Bladder
• Cloaca is divided by the urorectal
septum
• Urorectal septum grows towards the
cloacal membrane
• When fused a urogenital sinus and
rectum are formed
• Where fused, perineal body is formed

Development of the Urinary Bladder
• Bladder develops from urogenital sinus
• Trigone is derived from mesonephric
ducts

MD2011 Week 5 HRM Development of The Urinary Tract Notes

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MD2011 Week 5 HRM Development of The Urinary Tract Notes

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Development of the

• Describe how the three sets of kidneys develop

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Signals from metanephric mesenchyme induce branching morphogenesis

Moritz et al. Adv Anat

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

Mitchell B. & Sharma R. 2005 Embryology: An illustrated colour text. Elsevier

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