(Solved) List each organ of the urinary system and concisely describe its function.

nite_n_day

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10 years ago

List each organ of the urinary system and concisely describe its function.

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doseofmegan

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10 years ago

Online answer: "The organs of the urinary system include the two kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and the urethra.

The Kidneys
These tiny filtering units help clean the blood of wastes and remove excess water. Waste products and excess water constitutes the urine. The kidneys also help regulate blood pressure, help in making vitamin D and produce a certain hormone—called erythropoietin—that stimulates red blood cell formation.

Each ureter, about 8 to 10 inches long, connects a kidney to the urinary bladder. Urine formed in the kidney then flows to the tube-like ureter where it carries urine to the bladder. The wall of each ureter has smooth muscles that regularly contract and relax to force urine into the bladder.

The Urinary Bladder

The urinary bladder, or simply called bladder, is a hollow muscular organ that sits in the pelvis. It is supported and held in place by ligaments. The ligaments attach to the nearby organs and the pelvic wall.

The bladder stores urine and is emptied during urination. A person’s bladder can comfortably hold up to 2 cups of urine for 2 to 5 hours. Sphincter muscles located at the base of the bladder help keep urine from leaking. Once the process of urination starts, the sphincters relax allowing urine to freely flow to the urethra and out of the body.

The urethra is the last part of the urinary system where urine flows. The length of the urethra is different in men and women. In men, the urethra measures about 6 to 8 inches long. The female urethra, on the other hand, is much shorter with a length of about 1.5 inches. This may be the reason why females are prone to having urinary tract infections (UTI) because of the shorter distance where bacteria or other microorganisms travel going up the urinary tract."

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duddy

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10 years ago

Consisting of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra, the urinary system has three primary functions: (1) excretion, the removal of organic waste products from body fluids, (2) elimination, the discharge of these waste products into the environment, and (3) homeostatic regulation of the volume and solute concentration of blood plasma. The excretory and homeostatic regulation functions of the urinary system are performed by the two kidneys that produce urine, a fluid containing water, ions, and small soluble compounds. Urine leaving the kidneys flows along paired tubes called ureters to the urinary bladder, a muscular sac for temporary storage of urine. On being forced out of the urinary bladder, urine passes through the urethra to the exterior. The urinary bladder and the urethra are responsible for the elimination of urine, a process called urination or micturition.

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List each organ of the urinary system and concisely describe its function.

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