|
The purpose of the urinary system is to lead urine away from the kidneys and out of the body. This system is usually divided into the upper and lower systems.
The upper system is comprised of the kidneys, the renal pelvis and two ureters. The lower system is comprised of the bladder and the urethra.
What is Urine?
|
|
 |
|
1. Kidneys 2. Ureter
3. Bladder 4. Urethra
|
|
Urine is a waste product that comes from the kidneys (1). Urine is guided via the renal pelvis to the ureters (2). The ureters pump the urine at intervals down into the bladder (3).
Once it reaches the bladder, urine pools there. When the bladder contains about 200ml of urine, it will usually signal to the brain to indicate that the bladder is starting to fill up.
The bladder holds about 400 - 600 ml of urine, but by then the bladder has usually been emptied via the urethra (4). The bladder is usually emptied around 4-6 times a day. The total amount of urine is usually about 2 litres a day.
|
|