Urinary System

A set of flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the urinary system.

Urinary System

Eliminates excess water, salts and physiological wastes by producing urine.

Kidney

Major organ of the urinary system; responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.

Ureter

Tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder

Hollow, muscular organ that holds urine before it is excreted.

Urethra

Tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder to the exterior of the body.

Glomerulus

Network of capillaries in the renal corpuscle where filtration occurs.

Nephron

Functional unit of the kidney responsible for urine formation.

Renal Cortex

Outer layer of the kidney, containing nephrons.

Renal Medulla

Inner layer of the kidney, containing renal pyramids.

Filtration

Process by which blood pressure forces water and solutes out of the blood in the glomeruli.

Reabsorption

Process by which essential substances are absorbed from the tubular fluid back into the blood.

Secretion

Transport of solutes from the peritubular fluid into the tubular fluid.

Countercurrent Multiplication

Mechanism that creates an osmotic gradient in the renal medulla, enabling concentrated urine production.

Micturition Reflex

Neural process that coordinates the act of urination.

Juxtamedullary Neurons

Type of nephron that plays a crucial role in forming concentrated urine.

Glomerular Filtration Rate (GFR)

Amount of filtrate produced by the kidneys each minute.

Renal Failure

Condition in which the kidneys cannot maintain homeostasis.

Pyelogram

X-ray image of the urinary tract taken after the administration of a radiopaque dye.

Trigone

Triangular area in the bladder that directs urine into the urethra.

Facultative Reabsorption

Adjustment of water reabsorption in the kidneys, often influenced by hormones such as ADH.

Obligatory Water Reabsorption

Water reabsorption that occurs regardless of hormone influence, primarily in the PCT.