Urinary System Part 1 - Overview

Question 1

what is the function of the urinary system?

Answer 1

the filter and purify the blood and whatever comes out of the blood that the body does not need anymore, leaves the body as urine

Question 2

where does all the filtration of the urinary system happen?

Answer 2

in the kidneys

Question 3

where are the kidneys located?

Answer 3

very posterior in the abdomen

Question 4

which kidney sits lower than the other? why?

Answer 4

the right. because the big liver sits above it

Question 5

which kidney has more protection? why?

Answer 5

the left has more protection because it is higher up so it has more rib coverage

Question 6

in addition to some of the protecting the kidneys, what else protects them?

Answer 6

they are encased in protective fibrous capsules each. as well as, they are surrounded by fat

Question 7

what type of fat covers the kidneys?

Answer 7

peri renal fat

Question 8

what does renal mean?

Answer 8

kidney

Question 9

what type of arteries and veins are going into and out of each kidney?

Answer 9

renal arteries and veins

Question 10

renal arteries are branches of?

Answer 10

the abdominal aorta

Question 11

renal veins drain directly into?

Answer 11

the inferior vena cava

Question 12

once urine is formed in the kidney, the urine leaves through?

Answer 12

tubes called ureters

Question 13

where does the ureters travel to?

Answer 13

the urinary bladder

Question 14

what is the urinary bladder?

Answer 14

a storage facility for urine

Question 15

what happens when our urinary bladder is full?

Answer 15

it travels through the urethra and out

Question 16

what sits on top of each kidney?

Answer 16

the adrenal gland/suprarenal gland (means above kidney)

Question 17

what type of glands are the adrenal glands?

Answer 17

endocrine glands; they produce hormones and release them directly into the bloodstream

Question 18

the hormones that the adrenal glands release are going to control things where?

Answer 18

all over the body not just around the kidneys

Question 19

what is the area on the medial side of the kidney that has the renal arteries, veins and ureter entering and exiting called?

Answer 19

the hilum

Question 20

where is the renal sinus?

Answer 20

area inside the kidney thats around the area where things enter and exit

Question 21

where is blood filtration occuring?

Answer 21

in the kidney functional area

Question 22

once the kidney is done with filtration of the blood, the stuff that it pulled out is going to become?

Answer 22

urine

Question 23

each renal pyramid (apart of the functional area) drains into?

Answer 23

an opening called a minor calyx

Question 24

what does the minor calyx join to make?

Answer 24

major calyx

Question 25

how many minor calyx’s are there in a single kidney?

Answer 25

8-15

Question 26

what many major calyx’s are there in a single kidney?

Answer 26

2-3

Question 27

what does the major calyx’s join to form?

Answer 27

the renal pelvis

Question 28

what is a continuation of the renal pelvis?

Answer 28

the ureter

Question 29

where does the ureter leave?

Answer 29

hilum of the kidney and heads towards the urinary bladder

Question 30

where are the ureters coming into the bladder from?

Answer 30

posteriorly

Question 31

what type of muscle is the urinary bladder?

Answer 31

a smooth muscle container with very elastic walls so that it can expand as it fills with urine to a point before it empties

Question 32

the smooth muscle in the walls of the urinary bladder is called?

Answer 32

detrusor muscle

Question 33

what does the detrusor muscle of the urinary bladder do?

Answer 33

contracts to push the urine out into the urethra

Question 34

what are our points of control in our urethra?

Answer 34

• internal urethral sphincter (involuntary/smooth muscle)
• external urethral sphincter (voluntary/skeletal muscle)

Question 35

where is the internal urethral sphincter?

Answer 35

at the top of the urethra
- so it will just open when the bladder is full because it is involuntary

Question 36

what allows us to hold our urine in if we are not ready to go yet?

Answer 36

external urethral sphincter

Question 37

which sex has a shorter urethra? why?

Answer 37

females
- because in a male it has to travel all the way through the penis

Question 38

why is it important to note that a female has a shorter urethra?

Answer 38

because it allows the female urethra to be a little more susceptible to bacteria and other types of infections like UTIs

• because the female has a shorter urethra, that means that there is a shorter distance for bacteria and other types of infections to travel. to infect the bladder or higher up in the urethra which is why it is more common in females than males