Urinary System

• Kidneys


  Bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage
• Kidneys

  • Filter blood
  • Remove waste products and excess substances (like water, electrolytes, and toxins)
  • Form urine
  • Regulate blood pressure
  • Produce erythropoietin (which stimulates red blood cell production)
  • Activate vitamin D
• Ureters


  Two thin tubes, each connected to a kidney
• Ureters


  • Transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder through peristaltic movements (wave-like muscle contractions)
• Bladder


  Hollow, muscular organ located in the pelvis
• Bladder


  • Stores urine until it is ready to be expelled from the body
  • Can expand and contract to hold varying amounts of urine
  • Muscular walls help expel urine during urination
• Urethra


  Tube that connects the bladder to the external opening of the body<|>Longer and passes through the penis in males<|>Shorter and opens just above the vaginal opening in females
• Urethra


  • Carries urine from the bladder out of the body during urination
  • In males, also serves as a passageway for semen during ejaculation
• Excretion of Waste Products

  1. Kidneys filter out waste products from the bloodstream

  2. Urea, creatinine, and uric acid are excreted in the urine
• Regulation of Blood Volume and Pressure

  • Kidneys adjust the volume of urine produced to help regulate blood volume and pressure
  • Kidneys release the enzyme renin, which plays a key role in blood pressure regulation
• Electrolyte Balance


  • Kidneys regulate the levels of various electrolytes (such as sodium, potassium, and calcium) in the blood
• Acid-Base Balance


  • Kidneys help maintain the pH balance of the blood by excreting hydrogen ions and reabsorbing bicarbonate from urine
• Hormone Production


  • Kidneys produce hormones like erythropoietin (which stimulates red blood cell production) and calcitriol (the active form of vitamin D, important for calcium absorption)
• The urinary system is crucial for maintaining homeostasis in the body, ensuring that waste products are efficiently removed and that the internal environment remains stable and balanced
• The urinary system, also known as the renal system, is essential for removing waste products from the body, maintaining fluid and electrolyte balance, and regulating blood pressure
• Filtration

  1. Blood enters the kidneys

  2. Waste products and excess substances are filtered out to form urine
• Reabsorption

  Essential nutrients, water, and electrolytes are reabsorbed into the bloodstream from the filtrate
• Secretion

  Additional waste products and excess ions are secreted into the urine from the blood
• Excretion


  The final urine is excreted from the body through the urethra
• Urinary system


  Also known as the renal system
• Urinary system


  • Removes waste from the body
  • Regulates blood volume and pressure
  • Controls levels of electrolytes and metabolites
  • Regulates blood pH
• The urinary system consists of several key parts that work together to perform its functions