URINARY SYSTEM NOTES

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering anatomical structures, combining forms, prefixes, suffixes, diagnostic procedures, pathologies, surgical techniques, and abbreviations of the urinary system.

Functions of the Urinary System

Removes waste materials from the body, regulates fluid volume, maintains electrolyte concentration in the body fluid, and assists in blood pressure regulation.

Flow of Urine

Urine is collected in the renal pelvis of the kidney, passes through the ureter to the bladder, and then through the urethra via the urinary meatus to the outside of the body.

Female urethra

Urethra measuring about $1.5\text{ inches}$ long that lies anterior to the vagina.

Male urethra

Urethra measuring about $8\text{ inches}$ long that extends downward through the prostate gland.

kidney (nephr/o, ren/o)

Organ that filters blood to form urine.

renal pelvis (pyel/o)

Reservoir for urine that collects urine and passes it to the ureter.

ureters (ureter/o)

Tubes carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

urinary bladder (cyst/o, vesic/o)

Anatomical structure that temporarily holds urine.

urethra (urethr/o)

Carries urine from the bladder to the urinary meatus.

albumin/o

Albumin.

blast/o

Developing cell, germ cell.

glycos/o

Sugar.

hem/o

Blood.

lith/o

Stone.

noct/o

Night.

ur/o, urin/o

Urine, urinary tract.

a-

Absence of, without.

dys-

Painful, abnormal, difficult, labored.

olig-

Scanty or few.

poly-

Many, much.

trans-

Through, across, beyond.

-cele

Hernia, protrusion.

-emia

Blood condition.

-gram

Record or radiographic image.

-graphy

Process of recording.

-iasis

Condition.

-lysis

Loosening, dissolution, separating.

-pexy

Surgical fixation; to move the organ to the right place.

-rrhaphy

Suture or repair.

-stenosis

Constriction or narrowing.

-tripsy

Surgical crushing.

-tomy

To cut something.

-ectomy

Cut something out.

-ostomy

Making an opening.

-plasty

Change the shape.

Cystolith

Stone in the bladder.

Nephroptosis

Drooping kidney (also called floating kidney).

Pyelonephritis

Inflammation of the renal pelvis and kidney.

Nephromegaly

Enlargement of a kidney.

Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR)

Reflux pertaining to the bladder and ureter, in which urine flows backward towards the kidneys; may occur in up to $10\%$ of children and in some adults.

Acute kidney injury (AKI)

Abrupt decline in kidney function that occurs over hours to days and is usually reversible (also called acute renal failure).

End-stage renal disease (ESRD)

Condition in which kidneys no longer function on their own, requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation for survival.

Renal calculi

Stone in the kidney.

Renal hypertension

Elevated blood pressure resulting in kidney disease.

Urinary suppression

Sudden stoppage of urine formation.

Cystostomy

Creation of an artificial opening into the bladder (for urinary drainage).

Lithotripsy

Surgical crushing of a stone.

Nephrolithiasis

Condition of a stone in the kidney.

Nephrectomy

Excision of the kidney.

Nephropexy

Surgical fixation of the kidney.

Pyeloplasty

Surgical repair of the renal pelvis.

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 shock waves, allowing fragments to be eliminated from the body in urine.

Fulguration

Destruction of living tissue with an electric shock (a method commonly used to destroy bladder growth).

Renal transplant

Surgical implantation of a donor kidney into a patient with inadequate renal function.

Cystoscope

Instrument used to visualize the bladder.

Cystoscopy

Visual examination of the bladder.

Nephrosonography

Process of recording the kidney using sound (ultrasonography).

Renogram

Radiographic record of the kidney (an imaging test used to evaluate kidney function; also called nephrogram).

Voiding cystourethrography (VCUG)

Radiographic imaging of the bladder and urethra taken before and during urination using a contrast agent (fluoro) or a radioactive material (nuclear medicine).

Blood urea nitrogen (BUN)

Test that measures the amount of nitrogen in the blood that comes from urea; an increased BUN detects an abnormality in renal function.

Creatinine

Blood test that measures the amount of waste product in the blood that comes from the normal wear and tear of muscles; an elevated amount may indicate impaired kidney function.

Specific gravity (SG)

Test performed on a urine specimen to measure the concentrating or diluting ability of the kidneys.

Urodynamics

Pertaining to the force and flow of urine within the urinary tract; studies examine voiding and test bladder tone, capacity, and pressure along with urine flow and perineal muscle function.

-uria

Urine, urination.

Anuria

Absence of urine (failure of the kidney to produce urine).

Dysuria

Difficult or painful urination.

Glycosuria

Sugar (glucose) in the urine.

Hematuria

Blood in the urine.

Nocturia

Night urination.

Oliguria

Scanty urine (amount).

Polyuria

Much (excessive) urine.

Pyuria

Pus in the urine.

Uremia

Urine in the blood.

Diuretic

Agent that promotes the formation and excretion of urine.

Hemodialysis (HD)

Procedure for removing impurities from the blood because of an inability of the kidneys to do so.

Peritoneal dialysis

Procedure for removing toxic wastes when the kidney is unable to do so; the peritoneal cavity is used as the receptacle for the fluid used in dialysis.

Stricture

Abnormal narrowing, such as a urethral stricture.

Void

To pass urine.

Incontinence

Unable to hold urine.

CRF

Chronic renal failure.

OAB

Overactive bladder.

PKD

Polycystic kidney disease.

UTI

Urinary tract infection.