Urinary System Flashcards

Flashcards covering the key concepts of the urinary system based on OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology Chapter 25.

What are the four main parts of the urinary system?

Kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, urethra

What is the basic function of the renal system?

To remove protein wastes from the body

What are ureters?

Muscular tubes that connect the kidneys to the urinary bladder.

What is peristalsis in the context of the urinary system?

Smooth muscle in the vessel wall that rhythmically contracts to squeeze urine into the urinary bladder.

What is the urinary bladder?

A storage sack for urine.

What is the detrusor muscle?

Three layers of smooth muscle in the bladder wall.

What is the trigone?

A triangle at the base of the bladder formed by the openings of the ureters and urethra.

What are the two sphincters that control flow out of the urinary bladder?

Internal (involuntary-smooth muscle) and external (voluntary-skeletal muscle)

What does retroperitoneal mean in the context of kidney location?

Behind the peritoneal membrane.

What structures enter and exit the kidney at the renal hilum?

Renal artery, renal vein, and ureter

What are the two main regions of the kidney, similar to the brain?

Cortex and medulla

What are nephrons?

Functional units of the kidney that filter blood.

What are the key blood vessels associated with the nephron?

Afferent arteriole, efferent arteriole, and peritubular capillaries

What is the function of Bowman's capsule?

Captures fluid filtered out of the glomerulus

What type of capillaries are glomerular capillaries?

Fenestrated

What are podocytes?

Cells that surround the glomerular capillaries and have pedicels that create filtration slits.