1. --The primary function of the urinary system is maintain fluid balance and remove liquid waste from the body… Urine: Is the liquid waste material produced by the body that is excreted via the urinary system. --Urine consists of: -W ater and dissolved waste material from what you have been drinking and eating. 1) excess water 2) salts and minerals 3) urea from protein digestion 4) uric acid (contains nitrogen) **Excess uric acid in body can cause gout (acute arthritis usually affecting big toe) 5) urochrome (comes from processing dead blood cells in the liver.) --The gives the urine a pale yellow color, which is its normal color.

2. Kidney: -Filter waste materials from the blood -Filter approximately 50 gallons per day -Help to maintain the fluid balance in your body…if your fluid balance is low send message to your brain stimulating you to drink. ****Nephrons: -Functional unit of the kidneys -Contain capillaries and tubules that “filter” blood Ureters: -Tubes connecting kidney to bladder Bladder: -Hollow muscular organ (smooth muscle) that stores urine. -Can hold a liter of fluid. Urethra: -Tube running from bladder to outside of body **Female: Carries only urine. **Male : Carries urine and ejaculatory fluids. ***Urinary tract infections occur more frequently in females that in males due to length of urethra…

3. Kidney Stones: -Crystals (usually made from Ca+) form in kidney tubules -Usually these crystals pass with no problems -Most people have chemicals in their blood that will prohibit these crystals from forming…some do not. *** Crystal may pass normally (if small enough you won’t even know it occurred…if too large is very painful) --If stones are too large to pass they use high intensity sound waves to vibrate the stones, breaking them into smaller pieces so they can be passed Kidney Failure: -Caused by: -Urine blockage -Nephritis (inflammation of nephrons caused by bacterial infection) -Blood loss -Disease causing damage to kidney Uremia: -Kidney is unable to rid blood of waste products (such as urea) ***Is a result of kidney failure….

4. Peritoneal Dialysis: -A tube inserted into the abdominal cavity using the peritoneum (membrane in the abdominal cavity) to “filter” the blood. -The benefit of this over hemodialysis is that once inserted you may do it at home. Hemodialysis: -Machine that “filters” blood…due to kidney failure -Blood must be removed and processed by machine -Make take hours per session multiple days a week -Usually while person waits for kidney transplant

5. Kidney Transplant: -Dialysis will be used until the acute symptoms have been treated and kidney function returns to “normal”. -If kidney function does not return to normal, that is when the patient’s doctor(s) will begin looking for a living donor Living Donor(s): -Someone who’s tissue make-ups “match” the patient’s -This person would have a laparoscopic surgical procedure, removing their “healthy” kidney… and that kidney will be transplanted into the patient. ***If there are no living donor’s where do you think the organ may come from?

6. Organ Donation: - Organ donation is the surgical process of providing one or more organs to be used for transplantation into another person. -Organ donors can be deceased or living. ***Each day, about 77 people receive organ transplants. However, 19 people die each day waiting for transplants that can't take place because of the shortage of donated organs. Organ transplantation has become an accepted medical treatment for end stage organ failure. ***Who’s decision is it to become a donor? ***Organ donation is not for everyone… ***How to become a Donor? --Go to this site OR when you get/renew your divers licensethis site