Urinary System
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Urinary System

Urinary System

Urinary System
urinary-system.jpgThere are four eliminative channels comprised of organs which help keep our bodies free from toxins, the intestinal, respiratory, urinary and integumentary systems are all responsible for some part of the detoxification process.  This month’s newsletter topic is the urinary system.

The urinary system is an important eliminative system to keep functioning for good health.  It consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra which form what is commonly known as the urinary tract which acts as the body’s plumbing system to drain urine from the kidneys, store it, and then release it during urination.  In addition to filtering and eliminating wastes from the body, the urinary system also maintains the homeostasis (balance) of water, ions, pH, blood pressure and calcium. 
Kidney2.jpgThe kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs found along the posterior (back) wall of the abdominal cavity. The right kidney is slightly lower than the left kidney as it sits below the liver which is much larger on the right side. The kidneys are surrounded by a layer of adipose (connective) tissue which holds them in place and helps protect them from physical damage.  The kidneys filter metabolic wastes, excess ions, and chemicals from the blood to form urine.
The kidneys contain around a million tiny structures call nephrons.  Nephrons are the functional units of the kidney which filters blood to produce urine.  Arterioles in the kidneys deliver blood to a bundle of capillaries surrounded by a capsule called a glomerulus.  As the blood flows through the glomerulus, much of the blood plasma is pushed out of the capillaries into the capsule, allowing blood cells and a small amount of plasma to continue flowing through the capillaries. The liquid in the capsule flows through a series of tubules lined with filtering cells and surrounded by capillaries. The cells surrounding the tubules selectively absorb water and substances from the filtrate in the tubule and return it to the blood in the capillaries. At the same time, waste products present in the blood are secreted into the filtrate. By the end of this process, the filtrate in the tubule has become urine containing only water, waste products, and excess ions. The blood exiting the capillaries has reabsorbed all of the nutrients along with most of the water and ions that the body needs to function.

There is a pair of tubes carrying urine from the kidneys to the bladder called ureters.  They are around 10 to 12 inches long and run parallel to the spinal column.  Gravity and peristalsis of smooth muscle tissue inside the walls of the ureters move toward the bladder.  The ends of the ureters extend slightly into the bladder and are closed at the entry point by valves which prevent the urine from flowing back toward the kidneys.

After urine has been produced by the kidneys, it is transported through the ureters to the bladder. The urinary bladder is a sac-like hollow organ used for the storage of urine and is located along the body’s midline at the inferior end of the pelvis. Urine entering the bladder from the ureters slowly fills the hollow space of the bladder and stretches its elastic walls. The walls of the bladder allow it to stretch to hold anywhere from 600 to 800 milliliters (20 to 28 oz) of urine. Stretch receptors in the walls send signals to the brain and spinal cord signaling the relaxation of the involuntary internal urethral sphincter and the sensation of needing to urinate. Urination may be delayed as long as the bladder does not exceed its maximum volume, but increasing nerve signals lead to greater discomfort and desire to urinate.

The urethra is the tube through which urine passes from the bladder to the exterior of the body. The female urethra is around 2 inches long and ends in back of the clitoris and front of the vaginal opening. In males, the urethra is around 8 to 10 inches long and ends at the tip of the penis. The urethra is also an organ of the male reproductive system as it carries sperm out of the body through the penis.

Urination is the process of releasing urine from the bladder through the urethra and exiting the body.  The process begins when the urethral sphincter muscles relax allowing urine to pass through the urethra.  Once the sphincter relaxes, the smooth muscles in the walls of the bladder contract to expel urine from the bladder.

Homeostasis ho·me·o·sta·sis
Homeostasis is defined as the tendency toward a relatively stable equilibrium between interdependent elements, especially as maintained by physiological processes.


pH is a measure of hydrogen ion concentration; a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a solution. ... Aqueous solutions at 25°C with a pH less than seven are acidic, while those with a pH greater than seven are basic or alkaline


The concentration of a solution expressed as the total number of solute particles per liter.


Blood Pressure

Production of Hormones



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