Urinary System Flashcards
Small artery.
arteriole
Active form of vitamin D, secreted by the kidney.
calciferol
Cup-like collecting region of the renal pelvis. Comes from the Greek kalux meaning a cup or case surrounding a flower bud.
calyx or calix (plural calyces or calices)
Tube for injecting or removing fluids. A bladder _____ drains urine from the bladder.
catheter
Outer region of an organ; the renal _____ is the outer region of the kidney.
cortex
Nitrogenous waste excreted in urine. A product of muscle metabolism. _____ clearance is a measure of the efficiency of the kidneys in removing (clearing) it from the blood.
creatinine
Chemical element that carries an electrical charge when dissolved in water. They are necessary for the functioning of muscles and nerves. Examples are potassium and sodium.
electrolytes
Hormone secreted by the kidney to stimulate the production of red blood cells. Stimulates red blood cell production by bone marrow and thus increases the amount of oxygen delivered to muscles. Enhances athletic endurance, and use of it is considered blood doing and is banned.
erythropoietin (EPO)
Process whereby some substances, but not all, pass through a filter.
filtration
Enclosing structure surrounding each glomerulus. Also known as Bowman capsule and collects the material that is filtered from the blood through the walls of the glomerulus.
glomerular capsule
Tiny ball of capillaries in the kidney.
glomerulus (plural glomeruli)
Depression in the kidney where blood vessels and nerves enter and leave. It comes from the Latin meaning a small thing. It is also used in the respiratory system to mark the depression in the lung where blood vessels, bronchus, and lymphatic vessels enter and leave.
hilum
One of two bean-shaped organs on either side of the backbone in the lumbar region. It filters nitrogenous wastes from the bloodstream to form urine.
kidney
Opening or canal.
meatus
Inner region of an organ.
medulla
Functional unit of the kidney. It is the combination of glomerulus and renal tubule where filtration, reabsorption and secretion take place in the kidney. Each one is capable of forming urine by itself. There are about 1 million in a kidney.
nephron
Substance containing nitrogen and excreted in urine. Examples are urea, uric acid, and creatinine.
nitrogenous waste
Electrolyte regulated by the kidney so that a proper concentration is maintained within the blood. Essential for allowing muscle contraction and conduction of nervous impulses.
potassium
Process whereby renal tubules return materials necessary to the body back into the bloodstream.
reabsorption
Blood vessel that carries blood to the kidney.
renal artery
Central collecting region in the kidney.
renal pelvis
Microscopic tube in the kidney where urine is formed after filtration.
renal tubule
Blood vessel that carries blood away from the kidney and toward the heart.
renal vein
Enzyme secreted by the kidney. It raises blood pressure by influencing vasoconstriction.
renin
Electrolyte regulated in the blood and urine by the kidneys. It is needed for proper transmission of nerve impulses, heart activity, and other metabolic functions.
sodium
Triangular area in the urinary bladder.
trigone
Major nitrogenous waste secreted in urine.
urea
One of the two tubes leading from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
ureter
Tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body.
urethra
Nitrogenous waste excreted in urine.
uric acid
Hollow, muscular sac that holds and stores urine.
urinary bladder
Process of expelling urine; also called micturition.
urination (voiding)
