Overview of urinary system

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The body extracts the nutrients it needs from the food consumed and leaves behind waste in the bowel and blood. The urinary system keeps chemicals in the body in check and balance. When protein found in meat products is broken down in the body, a waste product known as urea is removed from the body by the urinary system. It is usually carried in the blood streams into the Kidneys, where it is removed. This system, which is part of the main excretion system of the body, is mainly concerned with ridding the body of water soluble waste from the body. It does this through urine. The urinary system contains various components that perform one or many of the processes that involve production, storage and the removal of urine from the body. The system also takes part in many other important functions like hormone production. (Bora, C. 2013).
The urinary system consists of kidneys, ureters, the urinary bladder and the urethra. Kidneys are two bean shaped organs found in the front of the abdominal cavity. They also touch the muscles of the back. Surrounded by a layer of adipose that keeps them safe from physical damage, kidneys filter metabolic waste, chemicals and excess ions from blood. Running from the Kidneys are 10 to 12 inches long pair of tubes that carry urine to the urinary bladder. They run on the left and right sides of the body, parallel to the vertebral column down into the urinary bladder. Using gravity and peristalsis, the tissue in the wall of the ureters moves urine towards the urinary bladder. They send urine into the bladder, which prevents it from running back by the use of ureterovesical valves. Along the body’s midline at the end of the pelvis resides the urinary bladder, a hollow sack like organ that stores urine. This organ has elastic walls that allow for the storage of up to 800 milliliters of urine.
The urethra passes urine to the exterior of the body from the bladder. At approximately 2 inches, the female urethra ends just before the clitoris at the vaginal opening. The male urethra ends at the tip of the penis and is of a length of between 8 and 10 inches. The internal and external urethral sphincter muscles control the flow of urine through the urethra. They do this by opening and closing of the internal sphincter muscles to create the sensation of wanting to urinate, and the opening and closing of the external sphincter muscles to allow urine to pass out or to delay the urination process. Urination involves the removal of urine from the urinary bladder through the urethra, out of the body. When the muscles of the urethral sphincters relax, they allow urine to pass through the urethra. The smooth muscles on the walls of the urinary bladder on the other hand contract to expel urine from the bladder. These are the major components that enable the urinary system perform its tasks of ridding the body of wastes that are the resultant effects of en...