Urinary System Questions

What is the primary function of the urinary system?

To eliminate waste products from the body.

What are two examples of waste products eliminated by the urinary system?

Urea and salts.

What are the components of the urinary system?

Left and right kidneys, left and right ureters, a urinary bladder, and a urethra.

Where are the kidneys located in the body?

In the dorsal abdomen between the peritoneum and the abdominal wall.

What is the purpose of the ureters in the urinary system?

To drain urine from the kidneys into the bladder.

What is the role of the kidneys in maintaining homeostasis?

They regulate blood plasma composition, acid-base balance, and electrolyte balances.

What hormone is secreted by the kidneys that stimulates red blood cell production?

Erythropoietin.

What are the two distinct layers of the kidney?

Medulla (inner layer) and cortex (outer layer).

What is the functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtration?

Nephron.

What is glomerular filtrate?

Plasma that is squeezed out from blood within the capillaries in the glomerulus.

What structure surrounds the glomerulus and collects glomerular filtrate?

Bowman's capsule.

How does the kidney contribute to urine production?

Through the filtering and reabsorption processes performed by nephrons.

What controls the amount of water that remains in urine?

Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) and aldosterone.

What is the function of the bladder?

To store urine and release it into the urethra.

What reflex triggers the need to urinate?

Activation of stretch receptors in the bladder wall when it is full.

How does the male urethra differ from the female urethra?

It is generally longer, narrower, often curved, and also carries semen.