Medical Terminology: Chapter 9 - Urinary System

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering urinary system anatomy, physiology, stages of urine formation, diagnostic tests, pathologies, and clinical procedures from Medical Terminology: A Living Language, Eighth Edition, Chapter 9.

Retroperitoneal

The anatomical position behind the peritoneum, which describes the location of the kidneys.

Hilum

The concave entry and exit point on the medial border of the kidney for the renal artery, renal vein, and ureter.

Renal Cortex

The outer layer and shell-like portion of the kidney.

Renal Medulla

The inner region of the kidney containing renal pyramids that point inward toward the hilum.

Renal Papilla

The tip of each renal pyramid that empties urine into a calyx.

Calyx

A cup-like collection area in the kidney that receives urine from the renal papillae and drains into the renal pelvis.

Renal Pelvis

The large, funnel-shaped collecting area that gathers urine from the calyces and empties into the ureter.

Nephron

The functional, working unit of the kidney consisting of a renal corpuscle and renal tubules responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.

Renal Corpuscle

The filtering unit of a nephron composed of the glomerulus and glomerular (Bowman's) capsule.

Glomerulus

A ball of capillaries within the renal corpuscle where filtration of blood takes place.

Ureters

Tubes lined with mucous membrane measuring less than a quarter-inch wide and between $10$ and $12\,\text{inches}$ long that transport urine from the renal pelvis to the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder

An elastic muscular sac in the pelvis composed of three smooth muscle layers lined with rugae that stores between $300$ and $400\,\text{mL}$ of urine.

Urethra

A tubular canal lined with mucous membrane that carries urine from the bladder out of the body ($1\text{ to }2\,\text{inches}$ long in females; $8\,\text{inches}$ long in males).

Filtration

The first stage of urine production occurring in the renal corpuscle, in which blood pressure forces fluid and dissolved substances into the renal tubules to form glomerular filtrate.

Reabsorption

The second stage of urine production occurring in the renal tubules, where most water, electrolytes, and nutrients return to the bloodstream via peritubular capillaries.

Secretion

The third stage of urine production, during which special tubule cells transport ammonia, uric acid, and other waste products directly into the renal tubules.

Specific Gravity

A measure of the concentration of dissolved substances in urine, with normal findings ranging between $1.001$ and $1.030$.

Uremia

A toxic accumulation of waste products in the bloodstream caused by the kidneys' inability to filter and excrete them.

Azotemia

The abnormal presence of nitrogenous waste products in the bloodstream.

Anuria

The complete lack of urine production and excretion.

Calculus

A mineral salt stone formed within an organ of the urinary system.

Diuresis

An increased formation and secretion of urine.

Dysuria

Difficult or painful urination.

Enuresis

The involuntary discharge of urine, commonly referred to as bed-wetting when occurring at night.

Glycosuria

The presence of glucose or sugar in the urine.

Hematuria

The presence of blood in the urine.

Ketonuria

The presence of ketones in the urine, resulting from the body metabolizing fat instead of glucose for energy.

Oliguria

The condition of producing an abnormally scanty or deficient amount of urine.

Polyuria

The production and excretion of an unusually large volume of urine.

Proteinuria

The presence of abnormal quantities of protein in the urine.

Pyuria

The presence of pus in the urine.

Renal Colic

Severe, sharp pain caused by the passage or obstruction of a kidney stone.

Stricture

The abnormal narrowing of a passageway within the urinary system.

Acute Tubular Necrosis (ATN)

Damage to renal tubular cells caused by toxins in the urine, leading to oliguria.

Diabetic Nephropathy

Damage to glomerular capillaries resulting from elevated blood sugar levels associated with diabetes mellitus.

Glomerulonephritis

Inflammation of the kidney filtering units causing increased permeability to proteins and blood cells.

Hydronephrosis

Distention and dilation of the renal pelvis due to urine backup or accumulation within the kidney.

Nephroptosis

Downward displacement or dropping of the kidney, also referred to as a floating kidney.

Nephrotic Syndrome (NS)

A condition characterized by damage to the glomerulus, allowing protein to leak into the urine.

Polycystic Kidneys

A condition marked by the development of multiple fluid-filled cysts in the kidney that gradually destroy normal kidney tissue.

Pyelonephritis

Inflammation affecting both the renal pelvis and kidney tissue, presenting as a common kidney disorder.

Wilms' Tumor

A malignant kidney tumor most often found in young children.

Cystocele

A hernia or protrusion of the urinary bladder into the anterior vaginal wall.

Neurogenic Bladder

Loss of normal voluntary bladder control caused by damage to nervous system control, resulting in urinary retention.

Blood Urea Nitrogen (BUN)

A clinical blood test evaluating kidney function by measuring the concentration of urea nitrogen in the bloodstream.

Creatinine Clearance

A kidney function test comparing the concentration of creatinine in the blood to the level cleared into the urine over a timed period.

Urinalysis (UA)

The physical, chemical, and microscopic laboratory examination of urine.

Urinometer

A specialized instrument used to measure the specific gravity of a urine sample.

Retrograde Pyelography (RP)

An X-ray imaging procedure where radiopaque dye is injected through the urethra and ureters to outline the bladder, ureters, and renal pelvis.

Voiding Cystourethrography (VCUG)

A diagnostic procedure where dye is instilled into the bladder and X-rays are taken to visualize the urethra during urination.

Cystoscopy

The direct visual examination of the urinary bladder's interior using an instrument called a cystoscope.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy (ESWL)

A noninvasive medical procedure using sound or ultrasound waves from outside the body to crush kidney stones into passable fragments.

Hemodialysis (HD)

A treatment using an artificial kidney machine to remove wastes and excess fluids directly from the blood.

Peritoneal Dialysis

A procedure that removes wastes by introducing chemically balanced solution into the peritoneal cavity and later draining it.

Renal Transplant

The surgical implantation of a donor kidney into a patient's lower abdomen, connected to iliac blood vessels and the bladder.

Diuretic

A medication that promotes the excretion of water by increasing the volume of urine produced (e.g., Lasix, Aldactone).

Antispasmodic

A medication that prevents or relieves involuntary spasms of the bladder smooth muscle (e.g., Ditropan).