Overview of the Urinary System

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts related to the urinary system.

Homeostasis

The maintenance of stable internal conditions in the body.

Kidney

A reddish brown, bean-shaped organ that filters blood and forms urine.

Nephrons

Functional units of the kidney, each site of urine production.

Glomerulus

A capillary cluster in the nephron that filters blood.

Ureters

Tubular structures that transport urine from kidneys to the urinary bladder.

Urinary bladder

A hollow, muscular organ that collects and stores urine.

Urethra

The duct through which urine is conveyed from the bladder to the outside of the body.

Glomerular filtration

The first step in urine formation where water and small molecules are filtered from the blood.

Tubular reabsorption

The process of reclaiming useful substances from the renal tubules back into the blood.

Acidosis

A condition where blood pH drops below 7.4.

Alkalosis

A condition where blood pH rises above 7.4.

Uric acid

A product of nucleic acid metabolism and its excretion can lead to gout.

Detrusor muscle

Muscle of the urinary bladder that contracts to empty the bladder.

Artificial Kidney Machine

A device that uses dialysis to filter waste from the blood when kidneys fail.

Kidney stones

Solid masses composed of crystals that form in the kidneys and cause pain when passing.

Micturition reflex

The process of urination triggered when the bladder fills.

Renal transplantation

The surgical procedure of replacing a diseased kidney with a healthy one from a donor.

Acid-base buffer systems

Mechanisms that help maintain the pH balance in the body.