Review: Introduction to the Urinary System
Here is what we have learned from Introduction to the Urinary System:
- The urinary system rids the body of waste materials, regulates fluid volume, maintains electrolyte concentrations in body fluids, controls blood pH, secretes erythropoietin, and renin.
- The components of the urinary system are the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra.
- The primary organs of the urinary system are the kidneys, which are located retroperitoneally between the levels of the twelfth thoracic and third lumbar vertebrae.
- The cortex and medulla make up the parenchyma of the kidney.
- The central region of the kidney is the renal pelvis, which collects the urine as it is produced.
- The functional unit of the kidney is a nephron, which consists of a renal corpuscle and a renal tubule.
- The ureters transport urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.
- The urinary bladder is a temporary storage reservoir for urine.
- The urethra is the final passageway for the flow of urine.
- The flow of urine through the urethra is controlled by an involuntary internal urethral sphincter and voluntary external urethral sphincter.
Quiz
Go to the quiz if you want to test yourself on the material you learned in this section. The quiz is a self-assessment tool and no records are kept. The feedback will let you know if you have answered the questions correctly. You can take the quiz as many times as you want.