The Organ Systems/urinary

Urinary System

Function of System:

The function is to remove liquid waste from the blood in the form of urine, and excrete wastes from the body.

How it aids in homeostasis:

The kidneys maintain the acid-base balance and the water-salt balance of the blood.

Image of system (free licensed):

Urinary System - Male

Urinary System - Female

Name and function of Major Organs:

Kidneys - Filter blood and make urine.

Ureters - Carries urine from kidneys to the bladder.

Bladder - Temporarily stores and releases urine from the body.

Urethra - Single tube that carries the urine from the bladder to outside of the body.

Comparative Anatomy:

The Urinary system is the same throughout the Class. The major organs are the same in a dog, a cat, and a monkey.

Diseases of the Urinary System:

Interstitial Cystitis is a disease of the Urinary System that messes up the nerve signals that lets a person know when to urinate. Normally people will have nerves fire when their bladder is full, but people with cystitis have a lot of misfired nerves, so they feel the need to urinate when they don't need to at all.

Symptoms of the disease are intense pelvic pain, pain during urination, and painful intercourse.

Bladder Infection

In Animals

This disease can be found in common household cats, and can cause inflammation of the bladder. This is called Idiopathic Cystitis meaning it has an unknown cause.

Further Reading:

Grenus, Brittany. "Feline Idiopatic Cystitis (FIC) in cats", PetMD, Chewy Accessed April 2023 from https://www.petmd.com/cat/conditions/urinary/feline-idiopathic-cystitis-fic-cats

Interstitial Cystitis. "What is Interstitial Cystitis (IC)/Bladder Pain Syndrome?" - Urology Care Foundation, Accessed April 2023 from https://www.urologyhealth.org/urology-a-z/i/interstitial-cystitis

http://www.innerbody.com/image/urinov.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urinary_system

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