The Urinary System

The Urinary System

Allison Beck

Anatomy and Physiology/ALH-166

November 16, 2017

Ms. Smith The Urinary System

In the human body, there are a number of systems that have their own importance and provide different functions to help keep us alive. One of these systems is the urinary system, also known as the renal system. As blood courses through the body, waste products are transferred into the bloodstream that needs to be extracted. The urinary system is designed to help the body remain free of excess water and waste that we no longer need. This particular system is made up of two kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and a urethra that produces, stores, and then excretes urine out of the body. When it comes to the urinary system,

The urinary system is composed of the kidneys, the ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra ("Urinary System", n.d.). These organs and tubes shape what is called the urinary tract, the body’s drainage system for removing urine from the kidneys, storing the urine, and then expelling it during urination ("Urinary System", n.d.). The first part of the urinary system is the kidneys. The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdominal cavity against the back muscles ("Urinary System", n.d.). The kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood to remove waste and chemicals to produce urine ("Urinary System", n.d.). Blood is carried through the renal arteries to the kidneys where they are filtered by nephrons - tiny filtering units in both kidneys that remove harmful substances and waste from the blood (Durani, 2015). The toxins and waste sifted by these nephrons are blended with water to produce urine (Durani, 2015). On average, the kidneys will filter 120 to 150 quarts of blood a day to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine ("The Urinary Tract & How It Works", 2014). The next

One of the most common infections that occur in the urinary system is UTIs or Urinary Tract Infection. A UTI is when bacteria gets into the urinary system, either externally or from the digestive tract, and causes pain and irritation in the urinary tract (Friedl, n.d.). UTIs are typically treated with antibiotics. A common disease of the urinary system is incontinence, which is when you lose some or all of your bladder control (Friedl, n.d.). This can also cause retention problems, which is when you have trouble releasing urine from the bladder (Friedl, n.d.). Incontinence can be treated with medication and exercise that can help to retrain the muscle around the bladder and urethra area (Friedl, n.d.). Interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome (BPS), is a type of chronic bladder condition that is primarily found in women (Zimmermann, 2016). IC can cause bladder pressure and pain, bladder scarring, and can cause less elasticity in the bladder (Zimmermann, 2016). Another form of inflammation in the urinary system is Prostatitis, the swelling of the prostate gland. Prostatitis is significant in that it only occurs in men and is often caused by advanced age (Zimmermann, 2016). It is generally cured by antibiotics. Kidney stones are an extremely painful condition that occurs in the urinary system when chemicals in the urine become