The Urinary System

The urinary system is a system of excretory organs which is responsible for removing different wastes as a result of the bodys different metabolic activities. You have to get rid of these materials like blood wastes, excess water and excess salt from your body for the other organ system to function well. The urinary system is made up of the following parts and their functions. 1. Kidneys. These are two bean-shaped organs one on the left and one on the right located at the back of the stomach and liver. Kidneys are considered the main excretory organ of the body. Each kidney contains about one million filtering units called nephrons. These nephrons filter blood containing waste collected from the cells and produce the waste liquid called urine. Urine contains excess water, salt, urea, nitrogenous wastes and other substances which are in excess of what our body needs. The kidneys also control the amount of salt and water in the body. 2. Ureters. Connected to the two kidneys are two tubes called the ureters. These tubes serve as the passageway of the urine from the kidneys, where it was formed, to the urinary bladder. 3. Urinary Bladder. The urinary bladder is a muscular baglike organ that stores the urine. It is located near the pelvis. If the bladder is already filled with urine, the muscles contract, making the person feels the urge to urinate, or excrete the urine. 4. Urethra. This is an opening of the urinary bladder where urine is expelled outside of the body.

Formation of Urine
A kidney is composed of about one million tiny units called nephrons. A nephron is made up of a cuplike structure called the Bowmans Capsule which narrows into a long coiled tubule. A mass of capillaries called glomerulus surrounds the tubule. A glomerulus starts as small arteries. These are blood vessels that bring blood to the kidneys. The capillaries surrounding the tubule unite to form smaller veins. These smaller veins in return unite to form the renal veins. These blood vessels returned purified or filtered blood to the general circulation. Blood passing through the renal arteries is led into the smaller arteries of the kidneys leading to each glomerulus. Because of pressure, most of the water and other content of the blood are forced into the Bowmans Capsule where they are being filtered. While blood passes through the tubules, most of the water, salt, blood protein and other materials needed for life are reabsorbed through osmosis. Filtered blood together with the necessary materials and most of the water are circulated from the kidneys throughout the body through the renal vein. The remaining liquid, called urine passes into the collecting tubules. It contains water, urea, nitrogenous wastes, salt and other substances. Through peristaltic action of the ureters, the urine is forced into the urinary bladder. The urine forced out of the body through the urethra when the bladders becomes filled.