Urinary System Jock Joyce, Natalie Simkins

Function Produce, filter, and expel urine

Major Organs and Functions of Each Two Kidneys - made of millions of nephrons. Vital organs that form urine, essential for homeostasis and maintenance of life. In process of forming urine, fluids, electrolytes, and wastes from metabolism are filtered from the blood and enter the nephron (additional wastes may be secreted in the the tubules of the nephron, substances useful to the body are reabsorbed into the blood). IF KIDNEYS FAIL HOMEOSTASIS CANNOT BE MAINTAINED Urethra - urine passes from the bladder to the urethra. Infection of urethra may spread all throughout urinary tract. Also passageway for reproductive fluid Urinary Bladder - located in pelvis, behind pubic symphysis. In women: sits in front of uterus, In men: rests on prostate. Elastic fibers and involuntary muscle fibers in walls of bladder make it well suited for expansion, then contracts to empty itself. Special kind of epithelial tissue lines bladder, loosely attached to muscle layer, lies in folds called rugae. The trigone is the triangular area on the back of the bladder that is always smooth, where membrane is tightly fixed to deeper muscle coat Ureter - tubes made of smooth muscle fibers that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.

How the Urinary System interacts with other Systems Works with the: Circulatory System, by cleansing the blood of waste, removing excess fluids and generally keeping other fluids in balance. Nervous System, by regulating the release of urine. When the bladder is full, the nervous system receives messages that it is time to go.

Behaviors that improve the functioning of the Urinary System Keeping your blood pressure at the target set by your health provider (aim for less sodium) If you have diabetes, control your blood glucose level. Good glucose control may help prevent or delay diabetes complications, including kidney disease. Keep your blood cholesterol in your target range by staying active, maintaining a healthy weight, and having a healthy diet Don’t smoke. If you do, take steps to try and quit. Smoking can make kidney damage worse. Get or become more active. Physical activity is good for your blood pressure as well as your blood glucose and blood cholesterol levels Lose weight if you are overweight. Being overweight makes your kidneys work harder. Losing weight helps your kidneys last longer

Diseases that affect the Urinary System Interstitial Cystitis (also known as “painful bladder syndrome” and “frequency-urgency- dysuria syndrome”) - inflamed/irritated bladder wall. The scarring caused by the illness can stiffen the bladder, causing pinpoint bleeding and decreasing its capacity. The cause of Interstitial Cystitis is unknown and patients do not respond to antibiotics. Pyelonephritis - the result of a UTI advancing to your upper urinary tract. This includes the kidneys and ureters, but is classed as a kidney infection. Through the kidneys, the infection can spread to the blood and cause serious illness. Symptoms include: back pain, fever, blood in urine, nausea and vomiting, and confusion. Pyelonephritis is almost always curable through antibiotics.

Quiz! 1.What do the kidneys maintain? 2.What are two things you can do to help your kidneys last longer? 3.The ureter… A.Maintains homeostasis B.Filters urine C.Makes insulin D.Propels urine from kidneys to urinary bladder 4. What are 3 symptoms of pyelonephritis? 5. What is the cause of interstitial cystitis