WHAT IS THE URINARY SYSTEM? T he urinary system contains the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. These organs work together primarily to create, store and eliminate waste, namely urine. In order to function properly, the human body extracts nutrients from food and uses them to produce energy and repair damages. Once food has been broken down and the body has retrieved what it needs, waste products stay behind in the bowel and the blood until they are removed via the urinary system. Successfully ridding the body of waste is essential to maintaining optimal health. That's the job of the urinary system: Its construction is relatively simple, but the processes that occur within it are complex and vital to health and well-being. How Does the Urinary System Work? How the urinary system works is relatively simple, although the supplementary roles of the kidneys can be complex. Blood is transported to the kidneys via the renal artery. A system of filtration units within the kidney re...
The main urinary system organs and other urinary system structures are the kidneys, bladder, ureters, and urethra. These form a sterile environment which is protected against the non-sterile outside world, provide the forces necessary to expel urine through a series of organs, and respond to sensitive involuntary and voluntary nervous stimulation. Kidneys Kidneys are located just below the ribs and are close to the middle of the back. They have multiple functions. The kidney creates balance in the amount of water and electrolytes in the body’s circulatory system, removes waste products (including drugs) from the body, controls blood pressure through the release of hormones (RAAS), regulates red blood cell production and subsequent tissue oxygenation levels (erythropoietin), and increases bone mass through calcium and phosphorus regulation. Homeostasis is an automated mechanism whereby concentrations of chemicals and fluids within the biological systems of an o...