Lesson 2.9 The Urinary System Flashcards
What does the urinary system control?
Conditioned skeletal muscles perform better and prevent arthritic changes in the joints and spine that are common with age.
Name the components of the urinary system.
Its components are the two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra.
Describe the function of the kidneys in basic terms.
The kidneys eliminate waste materials from the blood.
How do the kidneys clean the blood?
Waste materials, if allowed to remain in the body, become toxic.
What happens to the waste product cleaned from the kidneys?
Most of the fluids are then returned to the blood, leaving waste products and water behind. This urine is then channelled into the urinary bladder, a holding vessel that must be emptied through the urethra when it reaches a certain capacity.
Is the urethra a sphincter muscle?
Yes.
Describe the function of the urethra.
The urethra has a sphincter muscle, which controls urination.
What happens if the urethra becomes weakened or damaged?
If this muscle becomes weak or damaged as sometimes happens during childbirth, incontinence (the inability to hold urine in the bladder) can occur.
Name a secondary function of the kidneys.
Besides detoxifying, the kidneys control the amount of water and minerals leaving the body.
How much liquid is removed from the kidneys in an hour?
Every hour your kidneys remove up to 1.5 gallons (8 L) of liquid from your blood.
Name a tertiary function of the kidneys.
The kidneys also regulate blood pressure and help maintain the acid-alkaline balance in the blood. For this reason, chronic kidney disease has serious implications for the rest of the body.
What is the quaternary level of kidney function?
The kidneys also play a part in metabolism.
Name the secretions of the kidneys.
They include hormones that produce red blood cells, and synthesize calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D.
What part of the kidney is involved in filtration, secretion and reabsorption?
Nephrons.
When are nephrons formed?
The number of nephrons is determined at birth. If they become diseased or damaged, new ones cannot form.
