Exam 4 Review:  Chapter 25:  General Terms

urinary system - The body system which consists of the organs which filter the blood to produce, collect, and eliminate urine, including the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra; this system is separate from the reproductive system in females, but conjoined to the reproductive system of males at the urethra.

urine - The waste product produced and secreted by the kidneys which is stored in the bladder and discharged from the body through the urethra; it is a clear, yellow to amber-colored, slightly acid transparent fluid with a distinct characteristic odor, and an average specific gravity of 1.020; normal daily output for adults ranges from 1 to 2 L and varies widely with hydration status; chemically, it is mainly an aqueous solution of nitrogenous wastes (urea, creatinine, ammonium ions and uric acid), salts (sodium chloride and other electrolytes), together with various organic acids, miscellaneous molecules and peculiar pigments; it is usually acidic, due to the presence of acid phosphates and free uric acid; normally, it is about 96% water and 4% solids; it may also contain mucus, normal and abnormal cells and crystals, and in some cases, abnormal casts, sometimes indicative of disease, as well as a variety of solid artifacts.

nephrology - The science which studies the kidney, the anatomy and physiology of the organ and its diseases.  Visit How The Kidney Works for some excellent animations.

urology - The branch of medicine which deals with the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the urinary tract and urogenital system.

retroperitoneal - A directional term used to describe the location of certain organs as behind or beneath the parietal peritoneum which lines the peritoneal cavity; e.g., the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, portions of the ascending and descending colon, etc.

body buffers - Any of the systems or mixtures of weak acids and weak bases, present in the blood and other body fluids which minimize the change in the acidity of a body fluid when an acid or base is added to the solution; the most important buffers in the extracellular compartments are the (1) carbonic acid - bicarbonate system, (2) the phosphate system, and (3) proteins, especially hemoglobin and albumin; the most important buffers in the intracellular compartment are various proteins.

1. the organs of the urinary system and the function of each.

Organ	Function(s)
kidney	forms urine, maintains fluid homeostasis, acid-base balance, elimination of nitrogenous wastes, excess electrolytes, and certain soluble toxins and metabolites, secretes erthyropoietin and rennin, activates vitamin D
ureter	delivers urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder
urinary bladder	stores urine
urethra	delivers urine (and, in males, semen) from the body to the external environment