Urinary System Part 1 - Overview Flashcards
what is the function of the urinary system?
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
where does all the filtration of the urinary system happen?
in the kidneys
where are the kidneys located?
very posterior in the abdomen
which kidney sits lower than the other? why?
the right. because the big liver sits above it
which kidney has more protection? why?
the left has more protection because it is higher up so it has more rib coverage
in addition to some of the protecting the kidneys, what else protects them?
they are encased in protective fibrous capsules each. as well as, they are surrounded by fat
what type of fat covers the kidneys?
peri renal fat
what does renal mean?
kidney
what type of arteries and veins are going into and out of each kidney?
renal arteries and veins
renal arteries are branches of?
the abdominal aorta
renal veins drain directly into?
the inferior vena cava
once urine is formed in the kidney, the urine leaves through?
tubes called ureters
where does the ureters travel to?
the urinary bladder
what is the urinary bladder?
a storage facility for urine
what happens when our urinary bladder is full?
it travels through the urethra and out
what sits on top of each kidney?
the adrenal gland/suprarenal gland (means above kidney)
what type of glands are the adrenal glands?
endocrine glands; they produce hormones and release them directly into the bloodstream
the hormones that the adrenal glands release are going to control things where?
all over the body not just around the kidneys
what is the area on the medial side of the kidney that has the renal arteries, veins and ureter entering and exiting called?
the hilum
where is the renal sinus?
area inside the kidney thats around the area where things enter and exit
where is blood filtration occuring?
in the kidney functional area
once the kidney is done with filtration of the blood, the stuff that it pulled out is going to become?
urine
each renal pyramid (apart of the functional area) drains into?
an opening called a minor calyx
what does the minor calyx join to make?
major calyx
how many minor calyx’s are there in a single kidney?
8-15
what many major calyx’s are there in a single kidney?
2-3
what does the major calyx’s join to form?
the renal pelvis
what is a continuation of the renal pelvis?
the ureter
where does the ureter leave?
hilum of the kidney and heads towards the urinary bladder
where are the ureters coming into the bladder from?
posteriorly
what type of muscle is the urinary bladder?
a smooth muscle container with very elastic walls so that it can expand as it fills with urine to a point before it empties
the smooth muscle in the walls of the urinary bladder is called?
detrusor muscle
what does the detrusor muscle of the urinary bladder do?
contracts to push the urine out into the urethra
what are our points of control in our urethra?
- internal urethral sphincter (involuntary/smooth muscle)
- external urethral sphincter (voluntary/skeletal muscle)
where is the internal urethral sphincter?
at the top of the urethra
- so it will just open when the bladder is full because it is involuntary
what allows us to hold our urine in if we are not ready to go yet?
external urethral sphincter
which sex has a shorter urethra? why?
females
- because in a male it has to travel all the way through the penis
why is it important to note that a female has a shorter urethra?
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
