Urinary System

Urinary system

Urinary system is a body drainage system comprised of the group of organs that produce and excrete urine. It consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra. Kidneys are paired bean-shaped organs placed retroperitoneally. The kidneys have a rich blood supply provided by the renal artery. Nephrons within the kidneys filter the blood that passes through their web of capillaries (glomerulus). The blood filtrate then passes through a series of tubules and collecting ducts, eventually forming the final ultrafiltrate, urine. Urine passes into the ureters, tubes of smooth muscle that convey urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. The bladder is a hollow muscular organ that collects and stores urine before disposal by urination (micturition). Functions of the urinary system include; elimination of body waste, regulation of blood volume and blood pressure, regulation of electrolyte levels and blood pH.

:watermark(/images/logo_url_sm.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/kidneys/xJJfPDnD6k1NO1dlmm5dSA_kidney.png "Kidney (Ren); Image: Irina Münstermann" =413x413) :watermark(/images/logo_url_sm.png,-10,-10,0):format(jpeg)/images/anatomy_term/abdominal-part-of-ureter/8A023XWFM7czLBaU2C1cQ_Ureter_pars_abdominalis_02.png "Abdominal part of ureter (Pars abdominalis ureteris); Image: Irina Münstermann" =413x413)