The Urinary System

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The urinary system consists of six (6) organs: two (2) kidneys, two (2) ureters, the bladder, and the urethra.  The most basic function of this system is to remove toxic waste substances from the body.

Diagram of the Urinary System

Any substance that is useless to the body or is in excess of what the body needs, is considered a waste. A waste product that is produced by the body is called a metabolic waste. Metabolism produces a lot of waste substances which can be lethal to the body (and more specifically to cells), if allowed to accumulate. Some of the most toxic wastes substances produced by metabolism are small nitrogen-containing compounds called nitrogenous wastes.

About 50 % of nitrogenous waste is urea, a by-product which is produced when protein is broken down by the body. Protein is broken down to amino acid. Some of it forms ammonia, which is very toxic. The liver, however, quickly converts it to urea, a less harmful waste.

Other nitrogenous wastes include uric acid and creatinine. These wastes are produced when “nucleic acid” and “creatine phosphate” are broken down by the body. Although they are not as toxic as ammonia they are still very dangerous.

The kidneys are the main organs of the urinary system. One of the most fundamental function of the kidneys is to extract and eliminate these wastes from the body and to regulate the volume and composition of the body's fluids. The other organs in this system are mainly responsible for getting rid of the wastes substances from the body.

The anatomy of the kidneys is quite unique. Within each kidney there are approximately one million tube-like structures called nephrons. These microscopic structures play a major role in executing many of the kidneys functions and, by extension, the urinary system. They are responsible for eliminating wastes from the body and also play an important role in detoxifying poisons, help to synthesize glucose, and also help in controlling electrolyte and acid-base balance, blood pressure, and erythrocyte count (red blood cells).

The Urinary system is one of the body’s four (4) organ systems responsible for excretion (removal of wastes from the body). The other three (3) excretory organ systems are:

• The respiratory system – excretes carbon dioxide, small amounts of gases, and water.
• The integumentary system – excretes water, inorganic salts, lactic acid, and urea in the sweat.
• The digestive system – eliminates food residue and excretes water, salts, carbon dioxide, lipids (organic compounds in fats), bile pigments, cholesterol, and other metabolic wastes.

It should be noted as well that the urinary system has a very close physiological relationship with the endocrine, circulatory, and respiratory systems.

The urinary system is also closely associated with the reproductive system. Eggs and sperms are eliminated through the urinary tract, and the two systems have a shared anatomical relationship. This is reflected in the fact that in males, the urethra serves as a passage for both urine and sperm. The urinary and reproductive systems are often collectively called the urogenital (U-G) system. Urologists treat both urinary and reproductive orders.

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