BIO 342

Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

Lecture Notes 10 - Urogenital System

Vertebrate kidneys consist of glomeruli, tubules

surrounded by peritubular capillaries, &
longitudinal ducts. Variations in
kidney structure among vertebrates are
primarily in the number & arrangement of the
glomeruli & tubules.

Glomeruli are masses of capillaries that

(along with Bowman's capsule) 'filter' the
blood - the first step in eliminating waste
products from the blood.
Kidney tubules collect the glomerular
filtrate & conduct it to a longitudinal duct.
Tubules consist of several segments &
begin as a Bowmans (or glomerular)
capsule. A glomerulus plus its
surrounding Bowman's capsule is called
a renal corpuscle.
Longitudinal ducts = begin developing at
anterior end of kidney & grow caudally
until opening into the cloaca

Archinephros - earliest vertebrate kidneys

probably extended the entire length of the body
cavity & had external glomeruli that drained the
coelomic fluid

Pronephros - 1st embryonic tubules in all

vertebrates; called pronephric tubules because
they are the 1st to develop & are anteriorly
located

formed by corpuscles & tubules that

develop caudal to pronephric region;
form connections with existing
pronephric duct (which is now called the
mesonephric duct)

the embryonic kidney in reptiles, birds, &

mammals

the functional adult kidney in fish &

amphibians (& sometimes called the
opisthonephros)

Jawed fishes & amphibians - among males,

some anterior tubules of mesonephros conduct
sperm from testis to mesonephric duct. That part
of the mesonephros is called the SEXUAL
KIDNEY while the rest is the URINIFEROUS
KIDNEY.
Amniote embryos - mesonephros functions for a
short time after hatching or birth &, during that
time, a new kidney called the
metanephros is developing
Metanephros:

the adult amniote kidney

the number of corpuscles is large; up to

about 4.5 million is some species

drained by a duct called the

metanephric duct or ureter

Mammalian kidneys are divided into the

CORTEX(#5), MEDULLA (#6), & PELVIS(#4):

Number - never very many (e.g., 3 in

frogs, 7 in human embryos, & 12 in
chicken embryos)

Cortex - contains renal corpuscles & lots

of capillaries

The duct that drains the pronephros is

called the pronephric duct.

Medulla - contains collecting ducts and

loops of Henle; divided into pyramids
(#7) & columns (#2)

The pronephros is temporary & function

only until glomeruli & tubules further
back become functional.

Pelvis - hollow; receives the urine (which

exits the kidney via the ureter - #3)

Mesonephros:

Tubules of mammalian kidney have U-shaped

Loops of Henle (avian kidney = very short loops
& reptilian kidney = no loops)
Blood supply:

kidney is supplied by 2 or more renal

arteries in reptiles & birds, & by a single
renal artery in mammals (below).

Pathway of blood in mammalian kidney:

renal artery > segmental arteries >
interlobar arteries > arcuate arteries >
interlobular arterioles.

arise as paired ridges just medial to

mesonephroi

due to fusion or failure of 1 ridge to

differentiate, some vertebrates
(agnathans, some female lizards &
crocodilians, & most female birds) have
a single testis or ovary

hormones cause differentiation of early

gonads into either testes or ovaries

Ovaries:

In some teleosts, ovaries are hollow

sacs, either because the ovary develops
around coelom or the ovary becomes
hollow at ovulation (eggs are discharged
into cavity which is continuous with the
oviduct)

Fish - bladders are terminal

enlargements of the mesonephric ducts
called TUBAL BLADDERS

In other teleosts plus agnathans, the

ovaries are compact & eggs are
discharged into coelom

Amphibians through Mammals bladders arise as evaginations of ventral

wall of the cloaca

Amphibians - ovaries are hollow & eggs

are discharged into the coelom

Reptiles, birds, & monotremes - ovaries

solid but develop irregular, fluid-filled
lacunae (cavities); eggs discharged into
coelom

Mammals - ovaries compact; no large

chambers or lacunae

Urinary bladders are found in all vertebrates

except agnathans, snakes, crocodilians, some
lizards, & birds (except ostriches).

Value of tetrapod urinary bladder:

void urine when desired rather than

continuously as it is formed

uses of urine:
o

Gonads:

reproduction (e.g., providing

males with information
concerning the reproductive
status of a female)

behavioral (e.g., marking

territories)

moisten soil (some freshwater

turtles use urine to soften the
ground and make it easier to dig
holes for egg-laying)

Testes:

usually smaller than ovaries because

sperm, although numerous, are much
smaller than eggs (especially eggs with
yolk)

In mammals, testes are larger than

ovaries

Translocation of testes in mammals:

testes descend permanently into scrotal

sacs in many mammals

some mammals - testes lowered into

scrotal sacs & retracted at will

inguinal canal - passage between

abdominal cavity & scrotum

scrotal sacs - do not develop in some

mammals; testes remain in abdomen

Male genital ducts:

Some fishes (e.g., gar & sturgeon) &

amphibians - mesonephric duct
transmits sperm & urine

penis - usually a thickening of

floor of cloaca consisting of
spongy erectile tissue (corpus
spongiosum) with grooves to
direct sperm & ending in a glans
penis (sensory endings that
reflexly stimulate ejaculation)

mammals (except monotremes)

- penis extends beyond body.
The embryonic corpus
spongiosum becomes a tube
with urethra inside & 2
additional erectile masses
develop (corpus cavernosa).

Female genital ducts:

typically consists of a pair of gonoducts

(or oviducts) that extend from ostia to
the cloaca

different segments of ducts perform

special functions

Sharks - mesonephric duct is used

primarily for sperm transport; accessory
urinary duct develops

when internal, fertilization occurs near

beginning of ducts

Teleosts - mesonephric duct drains

kidney; separate sperm duct develops

Anatomy in various vertebrate groups:

Amniotes - embryonic mesonephric

ducts transport sperm in adults

Some amphibians - mesonephric duct

transports only sperm; new accessory
urinary duct drains the kidney

cartilaginous fish - 2 ostia fuse to form

single ostium (or osteum); shell gland
secretes albumen & a shell; uterus
holds eggs until laying

teleosts - ducts are continuous with

cavity of the ovary

lungfish & amphibians - oviducts long &

convoluted; lining secretes jelly-like
material around each egg

crocodilians, some lizards, & nearly all

birds (diagram below) - 1 coiled oviduct
lined with glands that add albumen,
shells, &, sometimes, pigment

Intromittent organs:

useful when fertilization is internal;

introduce sperm into female
reproductive tract
found in some fish, some birds, reptiles,
& mammals
o
o
o

cartilaginous fish - appendages of

pelvic fins called claspers direct
sperm into female reproductive tract
snakes & lizards - have pair of
HEMIPENES (pocketlike diverticula
of wall of cloaca)
turtles, crocodilians, a few birds, &
mammals - exhibit an unpaired
erectile penis

monotremes - tract is reptilian; caudal end

secretes a shell before egg passes into the
cloaca

placental mammals - embryonic ducts give

rise to oviducts, uteri, & vaginas. Adult tract
is paired anteriorly & unpaired posteriorly
(typically terminating as an unpaired
vagina).

oviducts (fallopian tubes) are

relatively short, small in diameter,
convoluted, & lined with cilia; begin
at ostium bordered with fimbria
uterus:

Marsupials - no fusion of embryonic ducts so

there are 2 tracts (DUPLEX UTERUS)

Other placental mammals - varying

degrees of fusion:

bipartite uterus - 2 uterine

horns, a uterine body (with 2
lumens), & a single vagina

bicornuate uterus - 2 uterine

horns, a uterine body (with a
single lumen), & a single vagina

simplex uterus - no uterine

horns & oviducts open directly
into body of uterus

Vagina - fused terminal portion of oviducts that

opens either into urogenital sinus or to the
exterior; receives male intromittent organ