The human body consists of a number of systems having their own importance and contribution towards keeping human beings alive. As blood flows through the body, waste products are deposited into the bloodstream that needs to be removed. The system that does this is the ‘Urinary system’ also known as the ‘Renal system’. It is made up of two kidneys, two ureters, a urinary bladder and a urethra that produce, store and then excrete urine out of the body. For the purpose of this assignment the structure and functions of the urinary system will be explored focusing on the kidneys, in order to explain the importance of maintaining homeostasis. Homeostasis is the regulation of internal processes and substances that maintain a constant internal environment within the body.
The kidneys lie on the posterior abdominal wall, with one on each side of the vertebral column, and are held in position by a mass of fat called ‘Adipose’. (Innerbody.com, 1997). Kidneys are the primary organs of the urinary system that filters waste, water and electrolytes from the blood forming urine, through a continuous process called ‘Filtration’. (Innerbody.com, 1997). Each kidney has millions of nephrons, these are the functional units of the kidneys where filtration takes place. (Freudenrich, 1997). Nephrons have three functions known as Ultrafiltration, Selective reabsorption and tubular secretion. They are lined with a cellular membrane called ‘Microvilli’, this increases the surface area within the tubule to enable substances to secrete and reabsorb the filtrate. (Innerbody.com, 1999)
The formation of urine is initiated when blood is taken to the kidney via the renal artery. As blood flows from the renal artery through the afferent arteriole to the capill...
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The kidneys are located in the posterior section of the retroperitoneal cavity and are small, dark red kidney-bean shaped organs in the lower part of the rib cage (Marieb, The Urinary System, 2015). They are undervalued organs considering how essential they are for the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis. The kidneys filter about 120-150 quarts of blood to produce about 1-2 quarts of urine each day (NIH, 2014). Blood initially enters the kidneys through the renal artery. It then flows into the segmental artery before moving into the interlobar artery. From the interlobar artery the filtrate enters the arcuate artery before branching into the cortical radiate artery, which feeds into the afferent arteriole, before passing into the glomerulus where it begins to filter out waste. The filtered waste is then collected by renal tubule. The tubules drain to collecting ducts and all of these components together makes up a small unit called a nephron. Each kidney has over a million nephrons (Marieb, Blood Supply/ Nephrons, 2015). They filter out wastes that run through different body systems via blood; the majority of that waste is nitrogenous wastes, toxins, excess fluids, electrolytes, and drugs. These waste products are eliminated as urine. While waste are removed vital enzymes, hormones, and water are returned
Kidneys play an important role in the unary tract. They are located on each side of the spine, just below the ribcage. Each kidney is connected to the bladder by ureters. The kidneys have many functions, but the most common functions are to clean waste, control chemicals, and regulate fluid in the body which makes up the urine. Urine collects in the kidney before entering the ureters and as time passes more materials are added. When calcium and oxalate or phosphates are combined in the kidney tiny stones are formed called nephrolithiasis, commonly known as kidney stones. These stones can be very painful and “increases risks for diabetes, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis” (Goldfarb, 2009). About ten percent of all people will have kidney stones in their lifetime. Kidney stones are most frequently found in white men over the age of forty, relatives of kidney stone patients, and people who have formerly had kidney stones.
Williams, S. & Torrens, P., (2008) Introduction to Health Services, 7th edition, Thomson-Delmar Learning, 2008.
The urinary tract consists of two kidneys, to ureters, urethra, and the urinary bladder. The urinary system works to remove waste from the body, maintain homeostasis of water, blood pressure, and regulate the body’s pH levels. The kidneys regulate several important internal conditions by excreting substances out into the body. After urine has been produced in the kidneys it is then transported to the urinary bladder via the ureters. The urinary bladder then holds the urine until the body is ready for excretion through the urethra.
The urinary system is composed of the kidneys, the ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra ("Urinary System", n.d.). These organs and tubes shape what is called the urinary tract, the body’s drainage system for removing urine from the kidneys, storing the urine, and then expelling it during urination ("Urinary System", n.d.). The first part of the urinary system is the kidneys. The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdominal cavity against the back muscles ("Urinary System", n.d.). The kidneys are responsible for filtering the blood to remove waste and chemicals to produce urine ("Urinary System", n.d.). Blood is carried through the renal arteries to the kidneys where they are filtered by nephrons - tiny filtering units in both kidneys that remove harmful substances and waste from the blood (Durani, 2015). The toxins and waste sifted by these nephrons are blended with water to produce urine (Durani, 2015). On average, the kidneys will filter 120 to 150 quarts of blood a day to produce about 1 to 2 quarts of urine ("The Urinary Tract & How It Works", 2014). The next
As for the kidney’s, they consist of a renal cortex with arcuate vessels surrounds the renal medulla of the kidney. The renal papilla at the end of the renal medulla connects to the renal pelvis. Finally, a ureter descends form the kidney to the urinary bladder in both the mink and human.
Homeostasis, what is it? Homeostasis is the balance between systems to keep living organisms alive and healthy. For an organism to maintain homeostasis its body systems must react and respond to changes in both its internal and external environments. Majority of body systems in organisms, like a respiratory or circulatory system in animals, are part of their internal environment. One body system that is very important for maintaining homeostasis and is common among many organisms is a respiratory system. The respiratory system is responsible for disposing of carbon dioxide and in taking oxygen (vice versa for plants). Some parts that make up a respiratory system are the lungs, windpipe, and cilia in animals. Another body system important to homeostasis and common among animals is a circulatory system, used for bringing nutrients like glucose and oxygen to body cells. Some parts that make up a circulatory system are a heart, blood, and tubes for the blood to travel through (veins, arteries, and capillaries) in animals. There are many more body systems important to homeostasis, but if one is disrupted it’s vital for it to be restored to normal.
7. Mullen, Paul E. “Violently Ill.” AQ: Australian Quarterly, vol. 70, no. 2, 1998, pp. 30–32. JSTOR, JSTOR,
A urinary tract infection is a very common infection that can happen to anybody. A urinary tract infection usually occurs when bacteria enters the urethra and multiples in the urinary system. The Urinary tract includes the kidneys, the thin tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder (ureters), and the main tube that carries the urine from the bladder (urethra). Women, men, and children are all immune to this infection. Women have the highest chances of getting it. In the Urinary tract, the main links of the ureters help get rid of any bacteria that tries to enter the urine, and the bladder helps prevent urine from backing up into the kidneys.
All play a role in removing waste from your body. Your kidneys filter waste from your blood and regulate the concentrations of many substances. Tubes called ureters carry urine from your kidneys to the bladder, where it’s store until it exits your body through the urethra.
Kidney Function Introduction and definition of terms: The kidneys are the main organs in the urinary system. They filter waste products out of blood from the renal artery. These are then excreted. Useful solutes are reabsorbed into the blood. They also have a major homeostatic role in the body, and help to control the water content (osmoregulation) and pH of the blood.
Furthermore, they are involved in the reabsorption of nutrients in the bloodstream and they can regulate the acidity of the blood. Besides the regulation of the fluids and ions, the kidneys are also responsible for the regulation of many different hormones that are involved in homeostasis and metabolism. Because of their importance in the regulation of substances in the body, when the kidneys stop working properly all the body is influenced by that creating disequilibrium in the maintenance of homeostasis and control of all the metabolic functions which can indirectly cause other problems to the body.... ... middle of paper ... ...
The human body is very complex. It is like a job. You have to do a million things in one day to make it through the day. The body uses nine systems to do all of those jobs. They all have separate functions, but some work together. Each system is also made up of organs. There are many ways to care and protect the systems from the many different problems they can have. There are also many interesting facts about each system.
Water is an essential nutrient that our body requires every day. Without water human life cannot be sustained. Water deprivation kills faster than lack of any other nutrient. People do not think of water as a nutrient and don’t realize the important role of water in the body functions.
Kidney function as a filter for harmful substances from which we eat and drink. Renal function would be maximized if the urine osmotic force in the body reaches 1,000 to 12,000 osmosis ml / kg of water. With reduced water intake during fasting to practice, to achieve the targets in the urine osmotic strength can be achieved so that in the end will be good for kidney health.