MedTerms Ch6: Urinary System Vocabulary Defined

kidneys

two bean-shaped organs located on each side of the vertebral column on the posterior wall of the abdominal cavity behind the parietal peritoneum. Their function is to remove waste products from the blood and to aid in maintaining water and electrolyte balances.

nephron

urine-producing microscopic structure. Approximately 1 million nephrons are located in each kidney

glomerulus (pl. glomeruli)

cluster of capillaries at the entrance of the nephron. The process of filtering the blood, thereby forming urine, begins here.

renal pelvis

funnel-shaped reservoir that collects the urine and passes it to the ureter

hilum

indentation on the medial side of the kidney where the renal artery, vein, and pelvis are located and the ureter leaves the kidney

ureters

two slender tubes, approximately 10 to 13 inches (26 to 33 cm) long, that receive the urine from the kidneys and carry it to the posterior portion of the bladder

urinary bladder

muscular, hollow organ that temporarily holds the urine. as it fills, the thick, muscular wall becomes thinner, and the organ increases in size

urethra

lowest part of the urinary tract, through which the urine passes from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body

urinary meatus

opening through which the urine passes to the outside

cyst/o, vesic/o

bladder, sac (combining form)

glomerul/o

glomerulus (combining form)

meat/o

meatus (opening) (combining form)

nephr/o, ren/o

kidney (combining form)

pyel/o

renal pelvis (combining form)

ureter/o

ureter (combining form)

urethr/o

urethra (combining form)

albumin/o

albumin (combining form)

azot/o

urea, nitrogen (combining form)

blast/o

developing cell, germ cell (combining form)

glyc/o, glycos/o

sugar (combining form)

hydr/o

water (combining form)

lith/o

stone, calculus (combining form)

noct/i

night (combining form)

olig/o

scanty, few (combining form)

urin/o, ur/o

urine, urinary tract (combining form)

-iasis, -esis

condition (suffix)

-lysis

loosening, dissolution, separating (suffix)

-ptosis

drooping, sagging, prolapse (suffix)

-rrhaphy

suturing, repairing (suffix)

-tripsy

surgical crushing (suffix)

-trophy

nourishment, development (suffix)

-uria

urine, urination (suffix)

azotemia

urea in the blood (a toxic condition resulting from disease of the kidney in which waste products are in the blood that are normally excreted by the kidney); (also called uremia)

cystitis

inflammation of the bladder

cystocele

protrusion of the bladder

cystolith

stone(s) in the bladder

glomerulonephritis

inflammation of the glomeruli of the kidney

hydronephrosis

abnormal condition of water in the kidney (distention of the renal pelvis with urine because of an obstruction)

nephritis

inflammation of the kidney

nephroblastoma

kidney tumor containing developing (germ) cells (malignant tumor) (also called Wilms tumor)

nephrohypertrophy

excessive development (increase in size) of the kidney

nephrolithiasis

condition of stone(s) in the kidney

nephroma

tumor of the kidney

nephromegaly

enlargement of the kidney

nephroptosis

drooping kidney

pyelitis

inflammation of the renal pelvis

pyelonephritis

inflammation of the renal pelvis and the kidney

ureteritis

inflammation of a ureter

ureterocele

protrusion of a ureter (distally into the bladder)

ureterolithiasis

condition of stone(s) in the ureter

ureterostenosis

narrowing of the ureter

urethrocystitis

inflammation of the urethra and bladder

epispadias

congenital defect in which the urinary meatus is located on the upper surface of the penis

hypospadias

congenital defect in which the urinary meatus is located on the underside of the penis; a smaller defect can occur in the female

polycystic kidney disease

condition in which the kidney contains many cysts and is enlarged

renal calculus (pl. calculi)

stone in the kidney

renal failure

loss of kidney function resulting in its inability to remove waste products from the body and maintain electrolyte balance

renal hypertension

elevated blood pressure resulting from kidney disease

urinary retention

abnormal accumulation of urine in the bladder because of an inability to urinate

urinary suppression

sudden stoppage of urine formation

urinary tract infection (UTI)

infection of one or more organs of the urinary tract

acute renal failure (ARF)

sudden and severe reduction in renal function resulting in a collection of metabolic waste in the body; may be caused by excessive bleeding, trauma, obstruction, adverse drug reactions, or severe infection; prompt treatment can reverse the condition and recovery can occur

chronic kidney disease (CKD)

progressive, irreversible, loss of renal function, and the onset of uremia; hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and glomerulonephritis may cause it; dialysis and kidney transplant are used in treating this disease; formerly referred to as chronic renal failure (CRF)

end-stage renal disease (ESRD)

what chronic renal failure is called when kidney function is too poor to sustain life

cystectomy

excision of the bladder

cystolithotomy

incision of the bladder to remove a stone(s)

cystorrhaphy

suturing the bladder

cystostomy

creation of an artificial opening into the bladder (bladder opening brought to the surface of the skin)

cystotomy, vesicotomy

incision of the bladder

lithotripsy

surgical crushing of stone(s)

meatotomy

incision of the meatus

nephrectomy

excision of a kidney

nephrolithotomy

incision of the kidney to remove stone(s)

nephrolithotripsy

surgical crushing of stone(s) in the kidney

nephrolysis

separating the kidney (from other body structures)

nephropexy

surgical fixation of the kidney

nephrostomy

creation of an artificial opening into the kidney

pyelolithotomy

incision into the renal pelvis to remove stones

pyeloplasty

surgical repair of the renal pelvis

ureterectomy

excision of the ureter

ureterostomy

creation of an artificial opening into the ureter (ureter opening brought to the surface of the skin)

urethroplasty

surgical repair of the urethra

vesicourethral suspension

suspension pertaining to the bladder and urethra

extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL)

Noninvasive surgical procedure to crush stone(s) in the kidney or ureter by administration of repeated shockwaves. Stone fragments are eliminated from the body in urine. (Also called shock wave lithotripsy SWL)

fulguration

destruction of living tissue with an electric spark (a method commonly used to destroy bladder growths)

renal transplant

surgical implantation of a donor kidney into a patient with inadequate renal function

cystogram

radiographic image of the bladder

cystography

radiographic imaging of the bladder

intravenous urogram (IVU)

radiographic image of the urinary tract (with contrast medium injected intravenously) (also called intravenous pyelogram [IVP])

nephrography

radiographic imaging of the kidney

nephrosonography

process of recording the kidney using sound (ultrasonography)

nephrotomogram

sectional radiographic image of the kidney

renogram

radiographic record of the kidney (a nuclear medicine test, used to evaluate kidney function); (also called renal scan or nephrogram)

retrograde urogram

radiographic image of the urinary tract (retrograde means to move in a direction opposite from normal; contrast medium is instilled into the bladder, ureter, or renal pelvis through a urethral catheter)

voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)

radiographic imaging of the bladder and the urethra (radiopaque contrast media is instilled in the bladder. Radiographic images are taken of the bladder before and during urination)

cystoscope

instrument used for visual examination of the bladder

cystoscopy

visual examination of the bladder

nephroscopy

visual examination of the kidney

ureteroscopy

visual examination of the ureter

urethroscope

instrument used for visual examination of the urethra