Development of Urinary System

Alvin B. VIbar, M.D.

OBJECTIVES

I. Discuss the development of the Urinary System

II. Give derivatives of the ureteric bud and
metanephric tubule
III. Enumerate derivatives of the urogenital sinus
IV. Discuss common congenital anomalies resulting
from abnormal development of the Urinary System

I. Urogenital System
Overview
Pronephros
 Embryologically urinary/excretory and the
genital/reproductive systems are closely associated  Transitory, nonfunctional structures appear early in the
 Urogenital system develops from the INTERMEDIATE 4th week of development
MESODERM  Develops at cervical levels (upper part)
 Longitudinal elevation of mesoderm is formed on each side  Pronephric tubules degenerate without a trace; Pronephric
of the Dorsal Aorta – UROGENITAL RIDGE ducts degenerate cranially but persist at lower levels
 REMEMBER: No parts of urinary system will come from
Urogenital Ridge the Pronephros
Parts:
Mesonephros
 Nephrogenic cord
o Urinary system  Appear late in the 4th week caudal to the degenerating
 Genital / Gonadal ridge pronephros
o Genital system  Well developed and function as “INTERIM KIDNEYS” until
the permanent kidneys develop
 Mesonephric kidneys consist of glomeruli and mesonephric
tubules which open into the mesonephric duct – CLOACA
o Possible question: Where’s the drainage of
mesonephric duct? Ans: Cloaca
 Mesonephros does DIRECT (males) and INDIRECT
(females) contributions to the genital system
o Possible question: Give derivatives in males
and females? Ans: In males mesonephric duct
will develop and paramesonephric duct will
II. Development of Urinary System regress. In females mesonephric duct will
Overview regress and paramesonephric duct will
Consists of: develop.
 Kidneys – which excrete urine  Mesonephros degenerate toward the end of FIRST
 Ureters – vascular tubes which convey urine from the SEMESTER
kidneys to the bladder  MESONEPHRIC DUCT or WOLFIAN DUCT (Males)
 Urinary bladder – which stores urine temporarily o Example – Mesonephric tubules – efferent
 Urethra – which carries urine from the bladder to the ductules of testes; Mesonephric ducts persist to
exterior form the ductus epididymis, ductus deferens,
seminal vesicle and ejaculatory duct
Development of the Kidneys and Ureters  PARAMESONEPHRIC DUCT or Müllerian ducts
(females)
Three sets of excretory organs / kidneys develop in Human Embryos
(REMEMBER):
 Pronephros – are rudimentary and nonfunctional Notes:
 Mesonephros – are well developed and function briefly until Hindi pwede mag develop pareho ang Mesonephric duct and
Paramesonephric Duct. Hindi pwede mag regress pareho si
such time that the permanent kidneys will develop from
Mesonephric duct and Paramesonephric duct.
Meetanephros
 Metanephros – will become the permanent kidneys

Huey Javier, RN 1 of 4
 Positional changes of the Kidneys
 Initially the metanephric kidneys lie to each other in the
PELVIS, ventral to the sacrum
 As the abdomen and pelvis grow, move farther apart and
ascends (rotates 90 degrees medially)
 Embryonic position of the kidney: The hilum(medial
concave border of the kidney) is on the anterior
 Adult position of the kidney: The hilum should be on the
medial side
 Adult position by 9th WEEK

Metanephros
 Permanent kidneys begin to develop early in the 5th week
and start to function 4 weeks later
Develop from 2 sources (REMEMBER THE 2 SOURCES)
 Metanephric diverticulum or Duct / URETERIC BUD
 Metanephric mass of Intermediate mesoderm / Metanephric
blastema/ METANEPHRIC TUBULE III. Congenital Anomalies of the Kidneys and Ureters
Renal Agenesis
 Results when ureteric buds fail to appear
 Absence of the buds may originate either with formation of
the bud itself or with the absence of its source of origin
 Unilateral – one kidney developed more common on the
left; MALES
 Complete –both kidneys fail to appear associated with
OLIGOHYDRAMNIOS; incompatible with postnatal life

Malrotation of the Kidneys

 If it fails to rotate the hilum faces anteriorly (Embryonic
position) Ibig sabihin hindi siya umikot
 If hilum faces posteriorly – rotation proceeded too far (sobra
Ureteric bud naman ang ikot)
 Develops as tubular outgrowths from the terminal part of  Often associated with ECTOPIC KIDNEYS (abnormal
Mesonephric duct position)
 Primordium of:
o Ureter Ectopic Kidneys
o Renal pelvis  One or both kidneys may be in abnormal position
o Renal calices  More inferior than usual and have not rotated
o Collecting tubules (remember)  Example: Pelvic (most common), Crossed, Illiac, and
 Collecting tubules will become the renal calices then will Thoracic Kidneys
become renal pelvis then it will continue to become the
Ureter

Metanephric tubule
 Elongation of metanephric diverticulum penetrates the
metanephric mesoderm to form the metanephric tubule
 Forms the NEPHRON
o Renal corpuscle
o Proximal convoluted tubules (remember)
o Loop of Henle
o Distal convoluted tubules (remember)
Notes:
Urinefrous tubule consists of two embryologically different parts:
A. Nephron – derived from metanephric tubule
B. Collecting tubule – derived from ureteric bud

[Micro HSB A] Development of Urinary System 2 of 4

Supernumerary Kidneys
 Results from development of two ureteric buds
 Incomplete division of ureteric bud – kidney with bifid
ureter
 Complete division – double kidneys with bifid ureter or
separate ureters
Horseshoe Kidney
 The poles of the kidneys are fused
 Large U shaped usually lies in the Hypogastrium
 Normal ascent is prevented because they are caught by the
root of inferior mesenteric artery
 Usually produces NO SYMPTOMS (which means that the
kidneys are functional)
IV. Development of the Urinary Bladder
Urogenital Sinus
Review:
Cloaca – Divisible into a Dorsal Rectum and Ventral Urogenital
sinus thru Urorectal Septum
Urogenital system divided into 3 parts:
1. Cranial VESICAL part
2. Middle PELVIC part MUST KNOW!!
3. Caudal PHALLIC part
Fate:
 Cranial Vesical part – Urinary bladder (both sexes)
 Pelvic part – Urethra in the bladder neck
o Prostatic part and membranous urethra in males
o entire urethra and lower part of the vagina in
females
 Phallic part – Genital tubercle (both sexes) which will give
rise to the external genitalia
o Spongy urethra of males is from phallic part
Development of the Urinary Bladder
 From the VESICAL PART of the Urogenital Sinus
 Initially the bladder is continuous with the Allantois which
constricts to become the URACHUS (will obliterate to
become the Median umbilical ligament in Adults)
[Micro HSB A] Development of Urinary System
V. Congenital anomalies of the Urinary Bladder
Urachal Anomalies
Case 1
On physical examination of a 6 y/o boy, a large intra-abdominal
mass was found in the midline just above the symphysis pubis.
The mass was firm in consistency and relatively fixed. It measured
about 10cms in diameter and was tender on palpation. At
operation a large cyst was found which was attached above to the
umbilicus and below to the apex of the bladder.
 Urachal cyst – case 1
 Urachal sinus
 Urachal fistula – abnormal communication between the
bladder and the umbilicus
o Urine may come out of the umbilicus
Exstrophy of the Bladder
Case 2
Following the birth of a baby boy, a moist-red protruding area was
noted on the lower part of his anterior abdominal wall above the
symphysis pubis. On closer examination, fluids could be seen
discharging through the upper lateral corners of the red
protruding area. The skin was seen to be continuous with the
margins of this red area. On physical examination, the child has
epispadias and bilateral undescended testis. X-ray examination of
the lower abdominal area showed separation of the symphysis
pubis.
 Most severe developmental defect associated with bladder
formation
 Common in males; exposure and protrusion of the
posterior wall of the bladder
 Trigone of the bladder and ureteric orifices are exposed –
urine dribbles continuously from the everted bladder
o Trigone of the bladder is made up of:
 2 ureteric orifices
 Internal urethral orifice
3 of 4
  Associated with musculoskeletal defect of the pelvic girdle VII. Congenital anomalies of the Urethra
and Epispadias Epispadias vs Hypospadias
 Epispadias – the external urtethral meatus opens on the
dorsal side of the penis (pag yung ihi mo napupunta sa
muka mo)
 Hypospadias – the external urethral meatus opens on the
ventral side most common birth defect of the penis. There
are 4 main types:
o Glandular – on the glands
o Penile – on the shaft
o Penoscrotal – on the junction of the penis and
scrotum
o Perineal – between the unfused halves of the
scrotum
 It can be surgically corrected

VI. Development of the Urethra

Overview
 Most of the male urethra and the entire female urethra are
derived from the endoderm of the Urogenital sinus
Note:
Prostatic urethra – Pelvic part
Membranous urethra – Pelvic part
Spongy urethra – Phallic part, BUT the terminal part is derived
from Surface Ectoderm
Connective tissue and smooth muscle of the Urethra in both
sexes – derived from adjacent Splanchnic Mesoderm
Urethral Fistulas
 Urorectal septum must develop to separate parts of
digestive and urinary otherwise it leads to rectal fistula

Rectal Fistula
 In females: Rectovaginal fistula
 In Males: Rectourethral fistula

Male Urethra

Divisible into 3 parts:

 Prostatic Urethra
 Membranous Urethra – shortest part
 Penile or Spongy Urethra
Normally the external urethral meatus would exit on the tip of the
REFERENCES
glans penis
 Dr. Vibar’s Lecture Slides (2017)
 Recordings (2017)
 Pictures from Moore the Developing Human 9th ed.

[Micro HSB A] Development of Urinary System 4 of 4