Urinary System |
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The urinary system, also known as the renal system, consists of the two kidneys, ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. Each kidney consists of millions of functional units called nephrons. The purpose of the renal system is to eliminate wastes from the body, regulate blood volume and pressure, control levels of electrolytes and metabolites, and regulate blood pH. The kidneys have extensive blood supply from the renal arteries which leave the kidneys via the renal vein. Following filtration of blood and further processing, waste exits the kidney via the ureters, tubes made of smooth muscle fibers that propel urine towards the urinary bladder, where it is stored and subsequently expelled from the body by urination. The female and male urinary systems are very similar, differing only in the length of the urethra. Urine is formed in the kidneys through a filtration of blood. The urine is then passed through the ureters to the bladder, where it is stored. During urination the urine is passed from the bladder through the urethra to the outside of the body. There are several functions of the Urinary System: Removal of waste products from the body, regulation of electrolyte balance, regulation acid-base homeostasis, controlling blood volume, and maintaining blood pressure. If you are producing too much or too little urine, you should seek medical attention. The basic structural and functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Its chief function is to regulate the concentration of water and soluble substances like sodium salts by filtering the blood, reabsorbing what is needed and excreting the rest as urine. The urinary system is regulated by the endocrine system by hormones such as antidiuretic hormone, aldosterone, and parathyroid hormone. The urinary system is under influence of the blood pressure, nervous system and endocrine system.