Urinary
system
Nancy Gonzalez Soto
Urinary system
+ The urinary system, also known as the renal system, produces,
stores and eliminates urine, the fluid waste excreted by the
kidneys. The kidneys make urine by filtering wastes and extra
water from blood. Urine travels from the kidneys through two
thin tubes called ureters and fills the bladder. When the bladder
is full, a person urinates through the urethra to eliminate the
waste.
+ The urinary system is susceptible to a variety of infections and
other problems, including blockages and injuries. These can be
treated by a urologist or another health care professional who
specializes in the renal system.
How the urinary system works?
+ The urinary system works with the lungs, skin and intestines to
maintain the balance of chemicals and water in the body. Adults
eliminate about 27 to 68 fluid ounces (800 to 2,000 milliliters)
per day based on typical daily fluid intake of 68 ounces (2 liters),
National Institutes of Health (NIH).
+ Other factors in urinary system function include fluid lost
through perspiring and breathing.
+ In addition, certain types of medications, such as diuretics that
are sometimes used to treat high blood pressure, can also affect
the amount of urine a person produces and eliminates.
+ Some beverages, such as coffee and alcohol, can also cause
increased urination in some people.
Organs
+ The primary organs of the
urinary system are the
kidneys, which are bean-
shaped organs that are located
just below the rib cage in the
middle of the back.
Kidneys
+ The kidneys remove urea — waste product formed by the breakdown of
proteins — from the blood through small filtering units called nephrons,
according to the Cleveland Clinic.
+ Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a
glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water
and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the
nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney.
+ From the kidneys, urine travels down two thin tubes, called
ureters, to the bladder. The ureters are about 8 to 10 inches long
(20 to 25 centimeters), according to the Cleveland Clinic.
+ Muscles in the ureter walls continuously tighten and relax to
force urine away from the kidneys, according to the NIH. A
backup of urine can cause a kidney infection. Small amounts of
urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters about every
10 to 15 seconds.
Bladder
+ The bladder is a hollow, balloon-shaped
organ located in the pelvis. It is held in
place by ligaments attached to other organs
and the pelvic bones, according to the
Kidney & Urology Foundation of America.
+ The bladder stores urine until the brain
signals the bladder that the person is ready
to empty it. A normal, healthy bladder can
hold up to 16 ounces (almost half a liter) of
urine comfortably for two to five hours.
+ To prevent leakage, circular muscles called sphincters close
tightly around the opening of the bladder into the urethra, the
tube that allows urine to pass outside the body. The only
difference between the female and male urinary system is the
length of the urethra, according to Merck Manuals.
+ In females, the urethra is about 1.5 to 2 inches long (3.8 to 5.1
cm) and sits between the clitoris and the vagina. In males, it is
about 8 inches (20 cm) long, runs the length of the penis and
opens at the end of the penis. The male urethra is used to
eliminate urine as well as semen during ejaculation.
The path of
the pee
+ The waste that is collected combines with water (which is also
filtered out of the kidneys) to make urine (pee).
+ As each kidney makes urine, the urine slides down a long tube
called the ureter and collects in the bladder, a storage sac that
holds the pee.
+ When the bladder is about halfway full, your body tells you to
go to the bathroom. When you pee, the urine goes from the
bladder down another tube called the urethra and out of your
body.
