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Definition: urinary system from The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather Guide

System of organs that removes nitrogenous waste products and excess water from the bodies of animals. In vertebrates, it consists of a pair of kidneys, which produce urine; ureters, which drain the kidneys; and (in bony fishes, amphibians, some reptiles, and mammals) a bladder that stores the urine before its discharge. In mammals, the urine is expelled through the urethra; in other vertebrates, the urine drains into a common excretory chamber called a cloaca, and the urine is not discharged separately.

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Water Regulation by the Kidneys

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urinary system

urinary system

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
group of organs of the body concerned with excretion of urine, that is, water and the waste products of metabolism. In humans, the kidneys are two small organs situated near the vertebral column at the small of the back, the left lying somewhat higher than the right. They are bean-shaped, about 4 in. (10 cm) long and about 2 1/2 in. (6.4 cm) wide. Their purpose is to separate urea, mineral salts, toxins, and other waste products from the blood, and to conserve water, salts, and electrolytes. At least one kidney must function properly for life to be maintained. Each kidney contains 1.2 million filtering units called nephrons. One end of the nephron is expanded into a structure called the renal corpuscle, or glomerulus, which surrounds a cluster of blood capillaries. The remainder of the nephron consists of a very long narrow tubule, in alternately convoluted and looping sections. Blood containing waste products enters the glomerulus through an afferent arteriole from the renal artery. …
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KEY POINTS The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron; each kidney contains many thousands of nephrons. Each nephron is made of several parts, each of which has a role in modifying filtered plasma to produce urine. Within the glomerular capsule of the nephrons, blood passes over a fine filter. …
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Full text Article urinary system

From Britannica Concise Encyclopedia
Organs of the renal system. Credit:Encyclopædia...
System that produces and discharges urine to rid the body of waste products. It consists of the kidney s, which balance electrolyte s in blood, retaining and adding needed ones and removing unneeded or dangerous ones for excretion; the ureters, two thin muscular tubes 10–12 in. (25–30 cm) long that…
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Full text Article Urinary System

From The Gale Encyclopedia of Fitness
(Electronic Illustrators Group/Gale, a Cengage...
The urinary system consists of organs, muscles, tubes, and nerves that are responsible for producing, transporting, and storing urine. The major structures of the urinary system include the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. The kidneys The two kidneys are located lateral (to each…
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Full text Article Urinary System

From Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health
The urinary system. To control the flow of urine,...
The urinary system consists of organs, muscles, tubes, and nerves that are responsible for producing, transporting, and storing urine. The major structures of the urinary system include the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder, and the urethra. The kidneys The two kidneys are located lateral (to each…
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Full text Article The urinary system

From The Visual Guides: Understanding The Human Body Full text Article BLOOD CIRCULATION
Description Time Total Time The blood transports substances that the organs need to function, and it also carries away their waste. 00:02 - 00:09 00:00:55 The urinary system eliminates these wastes from the body. 00:10 – 00:13 The blood is cleansed by the kidneys, two small bean-shaped organs. 00:14…
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Full text Article urinary system

From The Columbia Encyclopedia
group of organs of the body concerned with excretion of urine, that is, water and the waste products of metabolism. In humans, the kidneys are two small organs situated near the vertebral column at the small of the back, the left lying somewhat higher than the right. They are bean-shaped, about 4…
| 500 words
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Dorsal section through the equine...
The parts of the urinary system of the horse are the same as those in any other mammal and the system carries out the same functions, playing an important role in homeostasis by maintaining water and electrolyte balance. The two kidneys are located in the abdomen, one on either side of the midline…
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Full text Article urinary system in men

From Library of Health and Living: The Encyclopedia of Men's Health
Also known as: excretory system The organs and structures that remove waste from the bloodstream and pass it from the body as urine. The kidneys are the workhorse organs of the urinary system, producing urine from the excess water and waste materials they extract from the blood. The kidneys attach, …
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Reproductive tract of the hen.
This consists of a pair of symmetrical kidneys lying in a depression of the fused pelvic bones ( Figs. 13.15 and 13.16 ). A pair of ureters carries urine to the outside via the cloaca. There is no bladder in the bird. The kidneys are relatively larger than those of mammals and occupy about 2% of…
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HOW DIABETES AFFECTS THE URINARY SYSTEM
THE URINARY SYSTEM The functions of the urinary system include regulation of body fluids, removal of metabolic waste products, regulation of the volume and chemical makeup of blood plasma, and excretion of toxins from the body. The major parts of the urinary system are the kidneys, the urinary…
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