Chapter 10: Urinary and Male Genital Systems

Calic/o, cali/o

Calyx

Cyst/o

Filled sac or pouch, cyst, bladder, urinary bladder

Dips/o

Thirst

Glomerul/o

Glomerulus

Hydr/o

Water, fluid

Ket/o

Ketone bodies

Lith/o

Calculus, stone

-lysis

Separation, loosening, dissolving, destruction

Nephr/o

Kidney

Pyel/o

Renal pelvis

Ren/o

Kidney

Trig/o

Trigone region, kidney

Ur/o

Urine, urinary tract

Ureter/o

Ureter

Urethr/o

Urethra

-uria

Urination or urinary condition

Urin/o

Urine

Vesic/o

Urinary bladder

Andr/o

Male

Balan/o

Head of the penis

Crypt/o

Hidden

Epididym/o

Epididymis

Meat/o

Meatus or opening

Orchi/o, orchid/o

Testis

Pen/i, phall/o

Penis

Osche/o

Scrotum

Prostat/o

Prostate

Semin/o

Semen

Sperm/o, spermat/o

Sperm, spermatozoon

Test/o

Testis, testicle

Vas/o

Vessel, duct; vas deferens

Vesicul/o

Seminal vesicle

Urinary system function

Produces urine for excretion of metabolic waste as well as for fluid balance; plays an important role in blood pressure control within the body.

Dialysis

A process initiated for patients with advanced kidney disease conducted multiple times during the week for several hours a day, where a patient is attached to a device that withdraws blood, filters/cleans it of metabolic waste, and returns it to the body.

Urologic parts (Female vs Male)

Four basic parts to the urologic system for females and five basic parts for males (which includes the prostate gland).

Kidneys

Bean-shaped organs approximately the size of a fist, located near the middle of the back just below the rib cage to the left and right of the spine; remove waste and excess fluid from blood through nephrons.

Nephron

Tiny filtering units inside the kidneys; each consists of a glomerulus (ball formed of small capillaries) and a renal tubule.

Urea

Waste product produced when foods are broken down in the body, carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys, passing through nephrons down renal tubules to form urine.

Ureters

Muscular tubes approximately 12 inches long and 3-4 mm in diameter carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder via peristalsis (tightening and relaxing of muscles).

Renal pelvis (pyelo-)

The expanded proximal end of the ureter where the ureter attaches to the kidney; acts as a funnel for urine flowing to the ureter.

Pyelonephritis

A kidney infection that can develop if urine is allowed to stand still or reflux (back up) in the ureters.

Ureterovesical junction components

The anatomical area where ureters join the bladder; has three major components: lower ureter, trigone muscle (named for its triangular shape), and adjacent bladder wall.

Urinary Bladder

A hollow, muscular, expandable organ collecting urine that sits on the pelvic floor and is held in place by ligaments attached to other organs and pelvic bones.

Urination control mechanism

Bladder stores urine until full, sending a message to the brain; brain signals bladder muscles to tighten (squeezing urine out) and sphincter muscles to relax, letting urine exit through the urethra.

Urethra

A tube connecting the urinary bladder to the outside of the body; serves as the outlet for urine to exit during urination.

Male urethra path

Serves as the conduit for fluid waste and semen; shaped like an 'S' to follow the line of the penis.

Prostatic urethra

The portion of the male urethra passing through the prostate gland; passes along the neck of the urinary bladder and accepts drainage from tiny ducts within the prostate and two ejaculatory tubes.

Female urethra

A straight tube approximately 4 cm long that leads out of the body via the urethral orifice and has no reproductive function.

Bladder neck

The proximal opening of the urethra; adjacent to the prostate gland in men. Failure to open appropriately or completely during voiding causes obstruction.

Bladder neck obstruction causes

In men, most commonly caused by an enlarged prostate; in women, most commonly caused by vaginal or pelvic prolapse.

Male reproductive system components

Consists of the testicles (or testes), the duct system (epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct, urethra), and accessory glands (seminal vesicles, prostate gland, bulbourethral/Cowper's glands).

Testes (testicles)

Oval-shaped organs about 5 cm (2 inches) long and 3 cm (1 inch) in diameter that produce and store sperm cells; surrounded on front and sides by a serous membrane called tunica vaginalis.

Scrotum temperature regulation

Holds testicles outside the body to keep them cooler than body temperature for sperm creation; shrinks when cold to pull testes closer to body and expands when warm to get rid of extra heat.

Spermatic cord

A bundle of nerves and blood vessels that connect the testicles to the abdominal cavity.

Seminiferous tubules

A system of tiny tubes within the testicles where sperm cells develop under the influence of testosterone and other hormones.

Epididymis

A coiled tube within the scrotum that connects the testicles to the vas deferens, where sperm cells use their tails to push themselves from the seminiferous tubules and complete development.

Vas deferens (ductus deferens)

A muscular tube that transports semen from the epididymis into the pelvis and then connects to the prostatic urethra.

Seminal vesicles

A pair of tubular sac-like glands located behind the bladder and above the prostate gland, measuring about 5 cm (2 inches) long; secrete fluid that composes much of semen, providing lubrication and nutrients for sperm.

Ejaculatory duct

A short tube formed by joining the vas deferens and excretory duct of seminal vesicles; passes through the prostate gland and opens into the prostatic urethra, receiving fluids from both glands.

Prostate gland

A partly muscular and partly glandular organ approximately the size of a walnut that surrounds the neck of the bladder and urethra in males; secretes liquid portion of seminal fluid and helps propel fluid/sperm during orgasm.

Digital rectal examination (DRE)

A clinical exam where a physician places a finger into the patient's rectum to palpate the prostate gland just anterior to the rectum to check for enlargement or masses.

Bulbourethral glands (Cowper's glands)

Two accessory glands located below the prostate that secrete pre-ejaculatory fluid, which lubricates the urethra and neutralizes remaining acidity from urine.

Penis anatomy

Made up of the shaft and the glans (tip/head). The shaft contains three columns of erectile tissue: two columns of corpus cavernosa and one column of corpus spongiosum (which surrounds the urethra).

Meatus

The small slit or opening at the end of the glans penis where semen and urine exit the body through the urethra.

Foreskin (prepuce) & Circumcision

The loose skin covering the end of the penis; excision of the prepuce is called circumcision.

Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)

A progressive disorder in which the kidneys are damaged and unable to function properly, leading to accumulation of excess fluid, waste, and toxins, decreased urine production, and rising blood pressure.

CKD Stages

Five stages based on a laboratory finding of glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Stages include CKD I, II, III (substages IIIA and IIIB), IV, and V (End-Stage Renal Disease).

Glomerular filtration rate (GFR)

A measure of how much blood is being filtered by the glomeruli per minute; a lower GFR number indicates worse kidney disease.

End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)

Stage V of CKD, where kidneys are unable to function at all to remove waste from the body, requiring the patient to begin dialysis or undergo renal failure management.

Hemodialysis

A type of dialysis involving a special surgical tunnel to access the patient's blood stream, passing blood through an external machine to remove waste, toxins, and excess fluid; typically done 3-4 times a week for a minimum of 4 hours.

Peritoneal dialysis

A type of dialysis that works via osmosis inside the body by filling the abdomen with a fluid called dialysate over an 8-to-24-hour period to pull toxins and wastes from the blood, which is then drained.

Acute renal failure (ARF) / Acute kidney injury (AKI)

A rapid onset of failure in kidney function, often caused by injury, severe illness, heart attack, or anaphylactic reactions; unlike CKD, ARF and AKI can be reversed, sometimes after adjusting medications.

Urinary incontinence

The inability to control urine leakage from the bladder, which can be caused by anatomical, medical, or neurological factors, differing between males and females.

Types of urinary incontinence

Includes stress (leakage during coughing, sneezing, exercise), urge (sudden need to urinate followed by involuntary release), mixed, overflow, and functional incontinence.

Urodynamic testing

Specific diagnostic tests completed by a urologist or gynecologist to diagnose incontinence; includes cystometrogram, bladder capacity, needle electromyography, stimulus evoked response, urethra pressure profile, voiding pressure, and/or uroflowmetry.

Hydronephrosis

Dilation of the kidney and renal pelvis caused by excess fluid or urine accumulation due to an obstruction (such as urinary reflux, kidney stones, or cancers).

Polyuria

The excessive production and passage of urine, often accompanied by increased thirst (polydipsial); often a symptom of conditions like uncontrolled diabetes mellitus.

Spermatocele

A cyst-like, fluid-filled sac found within the testicle and/or the epididymis containing noncancerous collections of fluid and sperm.

Hematocele

A blood-filled sac or swelling found within the body area (specifically in the scrotal area near testicles).

Orchitis

Inflammation of a testicle (orch/o = testicle).

Epididymitis

Inflammation of the epididymis, usually caused by an infection.

Prostatitis

Inflammation of the prostate gland, usually due to an infection; can be acute or chronic, causing painful or difficult urination and occasionally flu-like symptoms.

-centesis

To puncture

-clasis

Surgical break or fracture

-desis

Surgical fixation, surgical binding

-ectomy

Surgical removal

-graphy

Imaging

-lysis

To free up

-orraphy

Surgical suture

-opexy

Surgical fixation of an organ

-otomy

To cut a part of the body, but not necessarily remove the organ

-scopy

Observation often related to visual observation with an endoscope

-plasty

Remodel or repair

Cystoscopy

A procedure used to examine the inside of the bladder and urethra. A long, thin tube with a light and camera (cystoscope) is inserted into the bladder through the urethra.

Prostate specific antigen (PSA) blood test

Measures the level of a specific protein made by the prostate that is circulating in the patient's blood. The higher the PSA result, the higher the possibility of an infection or a cancerous condition.

Digital rectal examination (DRE)

Procedure in which the physician places a finger into the patient's rectum and checks for enlargement or masses.

Prostate Biopsy

Done to remove multiple samples of prostate tissue in patients with suspected prostate cancer. Can be completed either transrectally (with ultrasound guidance) or transperineally (with CT or MRI guidance). A Gleason score is assigned if cancer cells are detected.

Gleason score

Grade assigned by a pathologist to indicate the growth rate and aggressiveness of prostate cancer and how likely it is to spread. The lower the number, the slower growing and less aggressive a tumor is.

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN) test

A blood test to detect levels of urea nitrogen. When the kidneys are not working well, the amount of urea nitrogen and creatinine circulating the blood increases.