THE URINARY SYSTEM

WHAT IS THE URINARY SYSTEM?

The 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 regulates levels of dilution (water), salts and other small molecules in the filtrate. Any excess or undesired products travel through each ureter and are deposited into the reservoir of the bladder, while purified blood re-enters the circulatory system by way of the renal vein. Urine is stored in the bladder until the urinary nervous system releases the contents through the urethra and out of the body. The passing of urine is known as micturition or urination.
The urinary system is split into the upper and lower urinary tract. The former consists of the kidneys and ureters, the latter of the bladder and urethra.

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FUNCTION OF THE URINARY SYSTEM

T he main urinary system function is to filter the blood of excess water, salts, and waste products, temporarily store these within a reservoir, and intermittently expel these products from the body. The main urinary system function is to filter the blood of excess water, salts, and waste products, temporarily store these within a reservoir, and intermittently expel these products from the body. Filtration, Reabsorption, and Secretion Each kidney contains approximately one million nephrons . Nephrons play a crucial role in removing waste products and adjusting concentrations of water, ions and smaller molecules in the blood. A single kidney contains enough nephrons to filter the blood – once they are damaged, they cannot be replaced. and produce urine – for this reason, kidney transplants can use organs from living donors. When both kidneys are damaged, ions, salts, water, and small molecules accumulate in the body, causing complete organ...

Urinary System Organs and Structures

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...

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