UNIT 6

The Urinary System

Introduction to the urinary system

The urinary system – also known as the excretory system – produces, stores and eliminates urine, the
fluid waste excreted by the kidneys. Formation and elimination of urine are important for the human
body because urine contains nitrogenous wastes of the body that must be eliminated to maintain
homeostasis. The urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, the bladder, two sphincter muscles
and the urethra.

The urinary system works with the lungs, skin and intestines to maintain the balance of chemicals and
water in the body. Adults eliminate about 1.5 liters of urine each day, depending on the amount of fluid
consumed and fluid lost through perspiring and breathing. 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. Certain beverages, such as coffee, can also cause increased urination in
some people.

Components of the urinary system

Kidneys: 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, one on each side of the spine. The kidneys
remove urea — waste product formed by the breakdown of proteins — from the blood through small
filtering units called nephrons. 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
kidneys.

Ureters: Ureters are two thin tubes of muscle—one on each side of the bladder—that carry urine from
each of the kidneys to the bladder. The ureters are about 8 to 10 inches long (20 to 25 centimeters).

Muscles in the ureter walls continuously tighten and relax to force urine away from the kidneys. 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 muscular organ shaped like a balloon. It sits in the pelvis and is held in
place by ligaments attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder stores urine until you are
ready to empty it. A normal, healthy bladder can hold up to almost half a liter of urine comfortably for 2
to 5 hours.

Sphincter muscles: 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.

Urethra: The urethra is a tube that connects the bladder to the external genitalia for elimination of urine
from the body. The only difference between the female and male urinary system is the length of the
urethra. In females, the urethra is about 4 - 5 cm long and sits between the clitoris and the vagina. In
males, it runs the length of the penis, about 8 inches (20 cm) long and opens at the end of the penis.
What do the kidneys and urinary tract do? The kidneys clear waste materials from the body and
maintain a normal balance of fluids and chemicals in the body. They also help to control your blood
pressure, make certain hormones and regulate the acidity of your blood. The urinary tract collects and
stores urine, and provides the system of tubes necessary to release it from the body. In men, the
urethra also carries sperm during ejaculation.

❖ VOCABULARY PARTS OF SPEECH: Complete the following table. (non)

+ PRACTICE: FIN in the gaps with the correct part of speech from the word given at the end of each
sentence.

1, The kidneys and re-absorb electrolytes (sodium, potassium, and calcium) under the influence of local
and systemic hormones.

2, The bladder urine before it is excreted from the body.

3, Adrenal secretions the salt and water balance of the body, influence the blood pressure, etc.

4, The skin is exceedingly important in the of body temperature.

5, The urethra is a tube that the bladder to the external genitalia for elimination of urine from the
body.

6, An of the bladder is called cystitis

7, There are two sphincter muscles to control the of urine from the human body.

8, Certain beverages, such as coffee, can also cause increased in some people.

READING COMPREHENSION A. Read the text again and answer the questions below.

1. What does the human urinary system consist of?

2. Why are formation and elimination of urine important for the human body'?
3. Where does formation of urine take place?
4. What can affect the amount of urine a person produces and eliminates from the body?
5. What are ureters? What are they for?
6. Where is urine stored before it is excreted from the body'?
7. What is the function of the two sphincter muscles?
8. What are the functions of the kidneys'?

B. GLOM TEST: Choose the best word for each gap.

A. abdomen B. as C. remove D. return E. vertebral column F. bladder G. removed H. filter I. enters J.

nephrons

The kidneys
There are two kidneys in the body, and they are situated on either side of the (1) between the thick
muscles of the back and (2) each kidney is approximately 10 cm long, 6 cm wide and 4 cm thick. Each
one weight about 140 gm.

The major function of the kidneys is to (3) waste products from the body by producing urine. They
contain about 1 million microscopic units called (4). Their function is to receive and (5) all the
blood in the body twelve minutes. They remove waste materials from the blood and (6) useful
substances to the circulation. In this way they enable the blood pressure to remain constant.

The process of filtering the blood is as follows: first of all, blood (7) the kidneys from the renal artery
and flows into the glomeruli: small knots of capillaries which act (8) a filter. Fluid then passes into
Bowman's capsule, but the filter does not allow blood cells and large protein molecules to enter the
capsule. As the filtered fluid passes on, 80 % of the water and sodium salts in it are (9) and returned to
the blood. The remaining liquid passes into collecting ducts, where water is again removed. The
concentrated urine enters the renal pelvis, passes into the ureters and finally enters the (10).

❖ STRUCTURE:

I. SHORT FORM OF RELATIVE CLAUSES (-ed and —ing clauses)

Look at the following examples: The urinary system - also known as the excretory system - produces,
stores and eliminates urine, the fluid waste excreted by the kidneys. (... the fluid waste which is excreted
by the kidneys)

To prevent leakage, circular muscles called sphincters close tightly around the opening of the bladder
into the urethra. (... which are called sphincters)

The urethra is a tube connecting the bladder to the external genitalia for elimination of urine from the
body. ( ... that connects ...)

1, The kidneys remove urea from the blood through small filtering units called nephrons.

2, Each nephron consists of a hall formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube
called a renal tubule.

3, The urinary tract is a series of tubes and storage vessels that take the urine produced by the kidneys
from inside the body to the outside.

4, Too little fluid can cause a drop in the amount of blood being sent to your vital organs.

5, Urologists treat ailments involving the urinary tract in both males and females.

6, The tubes connecting the kidneys to the bladder are called the ureters.

II. PHRASES WITH OF

Preposition OF can be used after a noun, a verb, or an adjective and can have different meanings in
different situations. Now translate the following sentences into Vietnamese.

1, Yesterday I went to the chemist's to buy a bottle of cough syrup.

2, He went blind at the age of28 after his parents died.

3, Urinary system is the system of production, storage and elimination of urine.

4, There are two sphincter muscles to control the elimination of urine from human body.

5, Urinary system is the excretory system of the human body.

6, One of the functions of the liver is excreting wastes.

7, He is afraid /scared of being at home alone.

8, The nervous system is made up of/ composed of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.

9, Human urinary system consists of two kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder, a urethra and sphincter
muscles.

10, He reminds me of his father, who died of lung cancer 10 years ago.

FURTHER READING

How do the kidneys and urinary tract work?

A large blood vessel called the renal artery takes blood to each kidney. The renal artery divides into
many tiny blood vessels (capillaries) throughout the kidney. In the outer part of the kidneys, tiny blood
vessels cluster together to form structures called glomeruli.

Each glomerulus is like a filter. The structure of the glomerulus allows waste products and some water
and salt to pass from the blood into a tiny channel called a tubule, while keeping blood cells and protein
in the bloodstream. Each glomerulus and tubule is called a 'nephron'. There are about one million
nephrons in each kidney.

The liquid that remains at the end of each tubule is called urine. This drains into larger channels (ducts)
which drain into the renal pelvis (the inner part of the kidney). From the renal pelvis, the urine passes
down a tube called a ureter which goes from each kidney to the bladder. Urine is stored in the bladder
until it is passed out through the urethra when we go to the toilet. The 'cleaned' (filtered) blood from
each kidney collects into a large blood vessel called the renal vein. This takes the blood back towards the
heart.

Balancing the level of fluid in your body is complicated. Too much fluid in the bloodstream can cause
oedema (swelling of the body's tissues). Too little fluid can cause a drop in the amount of blood being
sent to your vital organs. The kidneys monitor the level of fluid in your blood, and your blood pressure.