Fundamentals of Nursing Department:::: Medical Terminology: Urinary System :::: 1st Class /2nd semester

Urinary System

Introduction
The urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra . These
organs are responsible for the formation, storage, and removal of urine. These processes start with
the kidneys, paired structures that remove wastes
from the bloodstream, reclaim important
electrolytes like sodium and potassium, help
regulate blood pressure and fluid balance, and aid
in red blood cell production. The kidneys then
form urine, which is fluid containing water and
dissolved substances. The ureters are tubular
structures that transport urine from the kidneys to
the urinary bladder, an organ that stores urine.
The urine is then eliminated through the urethra,
a canal leading from the urinary bladder to the
exterior. This process regulates the amount of
water in the body and maintains the proper balance of acids and electrolytes, which is necessary for
human survival.

Word Parts Related To The Urinary System

Word Parts Related to the Urinary System
Word Part Meaning Word Part Meaning Word Part Meaning Word Part Meaning
cyst/o bladder ur/o, urin/o urine pyel/o pelvis poly- much, many
glomerul/o glomerulus nephr/o, ren/o kidney ureter/o ureter py/o pus
-iasis condition, state noct/o night urethr/o urethra lith/o stone
olig/o few, little

Structure and Function

The kidneys are bean-shaped organs (hence the source for the name of the kidney bean) and are
about the size of a deck of cards. They lie retroperiotoneally, which is posterior to the peritoneum in
the abdominopelvic cavity, along each side of the
spinal column. Each kidney is covered by a thin
membrane called the fibrous capsule. A thicker
layer of fatty tissue, called the perinephric fat or
pararenal fat body, surrounds the fibrous capsule
and thus provides protection for this vital organ.
Finally, a thin layer of connective tissue, called
the renal fascia, forms each kidney’s outer
covering. The two regions of the kidney are the
outer renal cortex and the inner renal medulla.
The hilum is the indented and narrowest part of
the kidney, where blood vessels and nerves enter and leave. The flattened funnel-shaped expansion
of the upper end of the ureter where urine collects in the kidney is called the renal pelvis. The cup-
like structure that drains into the renal pelvis is the calyx. The kidneys form urine and remove two
Fundamentals of Nursing Department:::: Medical Terminology: Urinary System :::: 1st Class /2nd semester

natural products of metabolism, urea and uric acid, along with other wastes from the blood. The
kidneys also filter, reabsorb, and secrete non waste products back into the bloodstream.
Filtration and the urine production begin in the nephrons, which are the functional units of the
kidneys. Each kidney has approximately 1 million nephrons, and each nephron consists of a
renal corpuscle and the renal tubule. The renal corpuscle is a structure composed of the
glomerulus and the glomerular (Bowman’s) capsule. The glomerulus consists of a cluster of
capillaries through which blood and wastes are filtered. The renal tubule consists of the
proximal convoluted tubule, nephron loop (loop of Henle), and the distal convoluted tubule.
Fluid not returned to the bloodstream becomes urine, is collected in the collecting duct, and
moves into the renal pelvis before ultimately entering the ureter. The ureters carry the urine to
the urinary bladder, where it is stored.

The urinary bladder stores the urine until a sufficient volume causes an increase in pressure and
triggers the urge to urinate via the micturition reflex. The micturition reflex is a contraction of the
walls of the urinary bladder and relaxation of the urethral sphincter in response to the rise in urinary
bladder pressure. Urination is regulated by two sphincters, the circular muscles that surround the
urethra. They are the internal urethral sphincter, which is located at the entrance to the urethra and
is involuntarily controlled, and the external urethral sphincter, which is located at the distal end of
the urethra and is under voluntary control.
Abbreviation Table (Urinary System)
Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning Abbreviation Meaning
ARF acute renal failure ESRD end-stage renal disease UTI urinary tract infection
BUN blood urea nitrogen GFR glomerular filtration rate KUB kidneys, ureter, and bladder
CRF chronic renal failure intravenous pyelogram urinalysis
IVP UA
CT computed tomography CAPD continuous ambulatory
peritoneal dialysis

Practice and Practitioners

A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of urinary disorders is called a urologist,
and the specialty practice is urology. A physician who treats the kidney and kidney disorders is
called a nephrologist. This area of specialty is named nephrology.
Fundamentals of Nursing Department:::: Medical Terminology: Urinary System :::: 1st Class /2nd semester
Term Table (Urinary System)
Term Meaning Term Meaning Term Meaning
micturition urination; uresis; voiding urinate passing of urine uric acid natural waste product of
metabolism that is
excreted in urine
hernia of the urinary
cystocele cystolith urinary bladder stone nocturia excessive urination at night
bladder
inflammation of the difficult or painful
nephritis dysuria nephropathy any disease of the kidney
kidney urination
albuminuria presence of the protein,
prolapse (slipping out of
albumin, in the presence of blood in
hematuria nephroptosis position) of the
urine, typically a sign of the urine
kidney
kidney disease
anuria failure of the kidneys to presence of pyuria pus in the urine
produce urine glycosuria carbohydrates (sugar)
in the urine
calculus a kidney stone enuresis bedwetting oliguria diminished urine production
cystalgia pain in the urinary inability to control
incontinence polyuria excessive urine production
bladder urination
cystitis inflammation of the inflammation of the renal
urinary bladder nephralgia pain in the kidneys pyelonephritis calyces and renal pelvis due to
local bacteria infection
Glomerulonep inflammation of the microbial infection of any part
the presence of renal urinary tract
hritis glomerulus nephrolithiasis of the urinary
calculi infection tract
renal calculus a kidney stone retention the inability to empty urethritis inflammation of a urethra
the bladder
Urgency Feeling the need to uremia an excess of urea in renal failure impairment of renal function,
urinate immediately. the blood either acute or chronic

Diagnostic Tests, Treatments, and Surgical Procedures for Urinary System

Term Meaning Term Meaning Term Meaning
antibiotic medicine that inhibits the catheter a flexible tube that lithotripsy treatment in which a stone in the
growth of bacteria enables passage of kidney,urethra, or urinary bladder
fluid from or into a is broken up into small particles
body cavity
Diuretic drug that promotes cystoscopy visual inspection of the urinary
excision of the urinary
urination cystectomy bladder by means of an instrument
bladder
called a cystoscope
dialysis ureteroscope instrument used to removal of unwanted substances
filtration to remove
visually examine the from the
colloidal particles from a
ureter hemodialysis blood by passage through a
fluid; a method of
semipermeable
artificial kidney function membrane;
analysis of urine by kidney operation in which a
physical, chemical, and transplant donor kidney is placed incision into the kidney to remove
urinalysis microscopic means to test into a recipient nephrolithotomy a kidney
for the presence of stone
substances or disease
nephrectomy removal of a kidney

References:
• Nath, Judi ; Lindsley, Kelsey: A short course in medical terminology, Fourth edition ,
Philadelphia : Wolters Kluwer Health, 2019, P.p. : 511-534.