The urinary unit’s performance task — urinalysis with reagent strips and microscopic sediment examination — is the closest A&P lab analog to actual clinical lab workflow. Students who develop sound technique here transfer it directly to entry-level clinical lab work, point-of-care testing, and bedside urine assessment.
Kidney + nephron + lower urinary tract (Pages 2–3)
Same items, paired with function (Page 4)
Cortex, medulla, glomerulus, tubule types (Page 5)
Sheep kidney + reagent strip workflow (Page 6)
Standard six-item check (Page 7)
3 stations (Page 8)
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Spelling rule / common confusion |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney gross (frontal section) | ||
| Renal cortex | Cortex | Outer pale layer; contains glomeruli + most tubules |
| Renal medulla | Medulla | Inner darker layer; arranged in renal pyramids |
| Renal pyramid | Medullary pyramid | Cone-shaped subdivisions of medulla; apex points toward renal pelvis |
| Renal column | Column of Bertin | Cortical tissue extending between pyramids |
| Renal papilla | Papilla | Apex of pyramid; opens into minor calyx |
| Minor calyx | (none) | Cup around papilla |
| Major calyx | (none) | Formed by 2–3 minor calyces; drains into pelvis |
| Renal pelvis | Pelvis (kidney) | Funnel-shaped space; transitions to ureter |
| Hilum (renal) | Renal hilum | Medial concavity; entry/exit of renal artery, renal vein, ureter |
| Renal capsule | Fibrous capsule | Thin connective tissue covering kidney surface |
| Nephron components (proximal → distal) | ||
| Renal corpuscle | (none) | Composed of glomerulus + Bowman’s (glomerular) capsule |
| Glomerulus | (none) | Capillary tuft; filtration occurs here |
| Glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule | Bowman capsule | Cup-shaped capsule around glomerulus; collects filtrate |
| Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) | PCT | Simple cuboidal with prominent brush border (microvilli); apical surface looks fuzzy |
| Loop of Henle (descending limb) | Descending limb of Henle | Thin segment; simple squamous |
| Loop of Henle (ascending limb) | Ascending limb of Henle | Thick segment; simple cuboidal |
| Distal convoluted tubule (DCT) | DCT | Simple cuboidal; NO brush border (key vs PCT); larger lumen than PCT |
| Collecting duct | Collecting tubule | Larger; simple cuboidal/columnar; runs through medulla in pyramids |
| Juxtaglomerular apparatus | JGA | Where DCT contacts afferent arteriole; macula densa + JG cells; renin secretion |
| Canonical answer | Accepted synonyms | Spelling / common confusion |
|---|---|---|
| Ureter, bladder, urethra | ||
| Ureter | (none) | Side required if pin is on one; transitional epithelium; smooth muscle peristaltic |
| Urinary bladder | Bladder | Detrusor (smooth muscle); transitional epithelium |
| Trigone | (none) | Smooth triangular region of bladder floor between ureter openings + urethra |
| Internal urethral sphincter | Internal sphincter | Smooth muscle; involuntary; surrounds urethral opening |
| External urethral sphincter | External sphincter | Skeletal muscle; voluntary control |
| Urethra | (none) | Distinguish from ureter → not yet (different word, different function) |
| Female urethra | (none) | Short (~4 cm); single function (urine) |
| Male urethra (3 regions) | Prostatic, membranous, spongy (penile) urethra | Long (~20 cm); shared with reproductive tract; specify region if pinned |
| Renal vasculature | ||
| Renal artery | (none) | Side required if pin is on one |
| Renal vein | (none) | Same rule |
| Segmental arteries | (none) | First branches of renal artery within kidney |
| Interlobar arteries | (none) | Run between renal pyramids in renal columns |
| Arcuate arteries | (none) | Arch between cortex and medulla |
| Afferent arteriole | (none) | Supplies blood to glomerulus |
| Efferent arteriole | (none) | Drains glomerulus; supplies peritubular capillaries |
| Peritubular capillaries | (none) | Around tubules in cortex; reabsorption + secretion |
| Vasa recta | (none) | Long capillary loops in medulla; preserve concentration gradient |
| Structure | Acceptable function statement | What does NOT pass |
|---|---|---|
| Renal cortex | Site of glomeruli, PCT, DCT, and most cortical tubules; high blood flow; primary filtration / reabsorption zone | "Outer kidney" alone |
| Renal medulla | Site of loops of Henle and collecting ducts; maintains osmotic gradient for water reabsorption | "Inner kidney" alone |
| Glomerulus | Filters plasma to produce filtrate (water, ions, small molecules) while retaining cells and large proteins | "Filters" alone (must indicate plasma → filtrate) |
| Bowman’s capsule | Collects filtrate from the glomerulus and channels it into the PCT | "Holds filtrate" alone |
| PCT | Reabsorbs ~65% of filtered water, Na⁺, glucose, amino acids; brush border maximizes surface area for active transport | "Reabsorbs" alone (must indicate what) |
| Loop of Henle | Establishes the medullary osmotic gradient via countercurrent multiplication; descending limb permeable to water, ascending limb to Na⁺/Cl⁻ but not water | "Concentrates urine" alone (must indicate countercurrent or asymmetry) |
| DCT | Fine-tunes Na⁺/K⁺ balance under aldosterone control; Ca²⁺ reabsorption under PTH control | "Reabsorbs" alone (must indicate hormonal control) |
| Collecting duct | Final water reabsorption under ADH control (water permeability) → urine concentration; H⁺ secretion → urine pH | "Drains urine" alone (must indicate ADH control) |
| Juxtaglomerular apparatus | Senses tubular Na⁺ delivery and afferent arteriole pressure; releases renin to activate the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system | "Releases renin" alone (must indicate trigger) |
| Ureter | Conducts urine from renal pelvis to bladder via peristaltic smooth muscle contractions | "Tube" alone (must indicate peristalsis) |
| Urinary bladder | Stores urine until voiding; detrusor contraction empties bladder; transitional epithelium accommodates volume change | "Holds urine" alone (must indicate stretch / void mechanism) |
| External urethral sphincter | Voluntary control of urination; skeletal muscle innervated by pudendal nerve | "Holds urine" alone (must indicate voluntary) |
| Slide | Canonical identification | Two features required |
|---|---|---|
| Renal cortex | Renal cortex | Renal corpuscles (round structures with clear capsular space) · PCTs (cuboidal cells with brush border, narrow lumen) · DCTs (cuboidal, no brush border, wider lumen, fewer nuclei) · Peritubular capillaries between tubules |
| Renal medulla | Renal medulla | Linear arrangement of structures (vs random in cortex) · Loops of Henle (thin and thick segments) · Collecting ducts (larger, simple cuboidal/columnar) · Vasa recta running parallel to tubules |
| Renal corpuscle (closeup) | Renal corpuscle | Glomerulus (capillary tuft with RBCs visible) · Bowman’s capsule (parietal layer of simple squamous) · Capsular (urinary) space between glomerulus and parietal layer · Vascular pole (where afferent/efferent arterioles enter/exit) |
| Bladder wall (transitional epithelium) | Bladder wall | Transitional epithelium with dome-shaped (umbrella) apical cells · Multilayered, layer count appears variable · Lamina propria beneath · Detrusor smooth muscle in bundles |
Performed on artificial / control urine samples in lab; never on student samples without explicit consent and a private workflow.
This unit uses artificial urine or pre-prepared instructor controls only. Student samples are never used in the practical assessment under any circumstances; if a student wishes to test their own sample for personal interest, that occurs after class on their own time, with their own strip, in private. The rubric grades technique on the supplied samples.
The urinalysis report format students learn here (presence/absence, quantity scoring, pH and specific gravity) is the same format they will see on actual clinical lab reports for the rest of their careers. Practicing it in the lab notebook this term is practice for clinical communication later.
The urinary unit contributes 3 stations to the term-end capstone. Each is 90 seconds; passes at 3 of 4; excellence at 4 of 4.
ID structure on frontal section. Function. Clinical: one common pathology (kidney stone, pyelonephritis, nephrotic syndrome). Integration: relate to cardiovascular control of renal blood flow or acid-base balance.
ID region (cortex / medulla) or specific structure (glomerulus, PCT, DCT, collecting duct). Function (per R2). Clinical: one diagnostic finding visible in disease state (RBC casts in glomerulonephritis, WBC casts in pyelonephritis). Integration: relate the structure to hormonal control (RAAS, ADH, aldosterone).
Performance station. Given a urinalysis result panel, ID any out-of-range values. Function: explain what each abnormal finding indicates physiologically. Clinical: state one diagnosis suggested by the pattern (UTI, diabetes, dehydration, glomerular disease). Integration: relate the urinalysis to one other body system the kidney interacts with (cardiovascular, endocrine, acid-base).
| Outcome per station | Counted as |
|---|---|
| 4 / 4 | Excellence (counts toward A bundle) |
| 3 / 4 | Pass (counts toward B and C bundles) |
| ≤ 2 / 4 | Not yet (counts toward D bundle if attempted; no F-bundle credit) |
| No attempt | Not counted toward any bundle |
Student: ______________________________________ Section: _______________ Date: _______________ TA: _______________
| # | Item | ID (R1) | Function (R2) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kidney gross structure | P / NY | P / NY / — | |
| 2 | Nephron component | P / NY | P / NY / — | |
| 3 | Renal vasculature | P / NY | P / NY / — | |
| 4 | Lower tract structure | P / NY | P / NY / — | |
| 5 | Sphincter (internal vs external) | P / NY | P / NY / — |
| # | Slide | ID | ≥2 features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | Cortex or medulla | P / NY | P / NY |
| 7 | Renal corpuscle / tubule | P / NY | P / NY |
| Item | Criterion | Met |
|---|---|---|
| D1 | Sheep kidney dissection 4 of 4 | P / NY |
| D2 | Urinalysis workflow 4 of 4 | P / NY |
| R4 | Overall (both tasks pass) | P / NY |
☐ No ☐ Yes — for item: __________ Tokens remaining: ☐ 3 ☐ 2 ☐ 1 ☐ 0