Ureters - Anatomy & Physiology

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Overview

• Muscular tube
• Passes in retroperitoneal space
• 2 Parts
  • Abdominal Portion
  • Pelvic portion
    • At this points it moves medially
    • In the female this movment is through the broad ligament
    • In the male it is through the mesoductus
• It ends of the dorsolateral surface of the bladder
  • Within the lateral ligament of the bladder

Wall

• It has a mucous membrane
  • It is formed from transitory epithelium
  • Protects against urine
• Under that is a lamina propria
• Followed by a muscularis layer
• And finally on the outside an adventitia

Junction With the Bladder

• The ureter enters the bladder obliquely
• Runs between the muscular layers and mucosa
• This stops back flow when the bladder is full as increasing pressure in the bladder pushes the two layers together occluding the ends of the ureters.
• They open through 2 slits on a raised "hillock"

Movement of Urine

The movement of urine along the ureters is achieved by peristalsis which is powered by locally regulated smooth muscle. This maintains a low pressure in the renal pelvis.

Vascular Supply

Renal pelivs and proximal ureter

Renal artery

Distal ureter

Cranial vesicular artery and the vaginal (female) / prostatic (male)

Lymphatic Drainage

Lumbar lymph nodes