Urine Repro

Renin

An enzyme that helps regulate blood pressure.

Kidneys

Organs that produce urine.

Renal capsule

The outer covering of the kidney.

Perirenal fat capsule

A capsule of fat that holds the kidneys in place.

Nephrons

The urine-producing structures found in the renal cortex.

Renal pyramids and collecting ducts

Urine-carrying structures housed in the renal medulla.

Calyces

Extensions of the renal pelvis.

Renal artery

The vessel that supplies blood to the kidneys.

Ureter

The vessel that carries urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.

Glomerulus

The knot of capillaries in a nephron.

Bowman's capsule

The area around the glomerulus in the renal tubule.

Filtration

The process in which substances are removed from the blood due to diffusion and high pressure.

Proximal convoluted tubule

The area of the nephron mainly responsible for reabsorption and secretion functions.

Reabsorption

The process of returning water and other needed substances from the waste to the renal tubule.

Secretion

The process where substances that need active transport leave the blood system and enter the urine stream.

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

The hormone released by the pituitary to regulate water loss.

Aldosterone

A hormone produced by the adrenals that helps control blood volume.

Micturition

The act of emptying the urinary bladder.

Urethra

The thin-walled tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder to the exterior of the body.

Trigone

The space from each ureter orifice to each other and the urethral orifice.

1 to 1.5 liters

The average amount of urine produced per day.

4-5 minutes

The time it takes to clean the entire blood supply.

Afferent arteriole

The vessel leading into the glomerulus.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs)

Infections that females suffer from much more frequently than men.

Kidney damage or failure

Can result from repeated infections to the kidney, physical trauma, chemical poisoning, or inadequate blood supply.

Dialysis machine

A machine used for treatment when one experiences uremia (renal failure).

Incontinence

The inability to control the voluntary external sphincter.

Sweat, breath, feces

Other ways the body outputs fluids throughout the day.

Testes

The main reproductive organs (gonads) of the male anatomy.

Sperm and testosterone

The two things produced by the testes.

Temperature too high

The reason sperm cannot be produced in the body cavity.

Seminiferous tubules

Structures in the testes that actually produce sperm.

Leydig cells (interstitial cells)

Structures in the testes that produce testosterone.

Epididymis

The comma-shaped organ that curves around the testes & matures sperm.

Spermatogenesis

The technical term for sperm production.

Acrosome

The 'helmet' on a sperm.

Secondary sexual characteristics

Deepening of the voice, increased hair growth & enlargement of skeletal muscles.

Ductus deferens (vas deferens)

The structure that runs upward from the epididymis & over the urinary bladder.

Ejaculatory duct

The duct into which the end of the ductus deferens empties.

Prostatic urethra

The part of the urethra surrounded by the prostate gland.

Semen

The milky, sticky mixture of sperm & accessory gland secretions.

Seminal vesicles

Glands that produce about 60% of the fluid volume of semen, rich in sugar and Vitamin C.

Prostate gland

The gland that secretes a milky, alkaline fluid that buffers the acid of the vagina.

Cowper’s gland

Another name for the bulbourethral gland.

Bulbourethral glands

Tiny, pea-sized glands that produce thick, clear mucus that cleans the urethra.

Scrotum

The external pouch enclosing the testes of the male.

Spermatic cord

The structure that encloses the ductus deferens, blood vessels, and nerves.

Penis

The organ designed to deliver sperm into the female tract.

Glans penis

The tip of the penis.

Prepuce

Another name for the foreskin of the penis.

Circumcision

The procedure for the removal of the foreskin.

Corpora cavernosa and corpus spongiosum

The three areas of spongy tissue that engorge with blood during sexual excitement.

Urethra

An organ that shares jobs from the urinary and reproductive systems in males.

64-72 days

The time it takes to make the average male spermatid.

Gubernaculum

The organ that guides the testes down into the scrotal sac.

Inguinal canal

The canal that connects the body cavity to the scrotal sac.

Ovaries

The primary female reproductive organs.

Eggs, estrogen, progesterone

The three products produced by the ovaries.

Follicle

The capsule in which an egg matures.

Oocyte

An immature egg.

Ovulation

The process of a woman releasing an egg around day 14.

Maturing follicle (Graafian follicle)

The structure in an ovary that produces estrogen.

Corpus luteum

The structure in an ovary that produces progesterone.

Estrogen

The hormone that causes the secondary sexual characteristics in a woman.

Corpus luteum

A ruptured follicle that transforms after ovulation.

Fimbriae of the fallopian tubes

Structures that create a current to receive an ovulated egg.

Fallopian tube

The structure where fertilization should occur.

Fundus, body, cervix

The three parts of the uterus.

Endometrium, myometrium, perimetrium

The three layers of the uterus.

Endometrium

The layer of the uterus wall that is sloughed off during the menstrual cycle.

Myometrium

The mainly muscular layer of the uterus.

Uterus

The female organ that receives and nourishes a fertilized egg.

3-4 inches (7.5-10 cm)

The average length of the vagina.

4 inches (10 cm)

The length of each fallopian tube.

Cervical cancer

The type of cancer in females diagnosed by a yearly pap smear.

Ovarian cancer

A type of female cancer that is hard to detect and can be fatal.

Uterine cancer

A type of cancer diagnosed by excessive bleeding.

Vagina

Another name for the 'birth canal'.

Hymen

The structure that partially closes the vagina in a young girl.

Labia majora and labia minora

The female skin folds of the external genitalia.

Vulva

The external genitalia of a woman enclosed by the labia.

Clitoris

The female structure that is analogous to the male penis.

Cervix

The structure that must dilate before birth can occur.

Areola

The pigmented area on a female mammary gland.

Menstrual cycle

The cyclic changes that the endometrium of the uterus goes through each month.

Proliferative phase

The stage of the menstrual cycle when estrogen causes the endometrium to rebuild.

Secretory phase

The stage of the menstrual cycle where progesterone takes over and the endometrium secretes hormones from glands.

Bartholin's glands (greater vestibular glands)

Glands that produce mucus acting as a lubricant for intercourse.

48-72 hours

The lifespan of an average spermatid in the female body.

12-24 hours

The time during which a mature egg remains viable after ovulation.

Up to 5 days

The lifespan of a 'super sperm' in the female body.

Fertilization

The process that occurs when the genetic material from the egg and sperm meet.

Zygote

A fertilized egg.

Blastocyst

The name of the hollow ball of cells (100 cells).

Gastrulation

The process when three germ layers arise.

Chorionic villi

The projections of the chorion that meet the uterus to form a placenta.

Umbilical cord

The structure that connects the placenta to the fetus.

Amniotic sac

The fluid-filled sac that surrounds the fetus.

Umbilical vein

The vessel from the umbilical cord that brings nutrients to the fetus.

Fetus

An embryo from the 9th week on.