THE URINARY SYSTEM

Kidney/s (riñón/riñones): where blood is filtered and waste products are removed. (dónde la sangre se filtra y los productos de desecho son eliminados).
Bladder (vejiga).
Sphincter (esfínter).
Ureter/Urethra (ureter/uretra).

The filtration units of the kidney are the nephrons. ( las unidades de filtración del riñón son las nefronas).

Juxtamedullary nephron (nefrona yuxtamedular).

Cortical nephron (nefrona cortical).

NEPHRON STRUCTURE

-Renal Corpuscle (glomerulus and glomerular capsule or Bowman´s capsule).

-Renal Tubule (Proximal Convoluted Tubule (PCT), Loop of Henle (ascending limb and descending limb) and Distal Convoluted Tubule).

Blood cleaning by the kidneys (3 processes):
1.Glomerular filtration (most of water, salts, glucose and urea are filtered here)
2.Tubular reabsorption (reabsorption by osmosis, diffusion and active transport).
3.Tubular secretion.

Hormonal control of kidney function:
-Renin-Angiotensin System.
-ADH.
-Aldosterone.

CHARACTERISTICS OF NORMAL URINE
-Amount: 1200-1500l.
-Color: straw, amber or transparent.
-Consistency: clear liquid.
-Odor: faint aromatic.
-No microorganisms present.
-PH: from 4.5 to 8.
-Gravity: from 1.020 to 1.025.
-Glucose, ketone bodies or blood not present.

NORMAL COMPOSITION
-water (96%).
-solids (urea (2%), uric acid, creatinine, electrolytes or salts).

URETHRAL CATHETERISM

-FEMALE

-MALE

Vocabulary
-specimen/sample (muestra para análisis).
-proteinuria: proteins in urine.
-haematuria: blood in urine (hematuria).
-anuria (complete suppression of urine formation).
-oliguria (excretion of an abnormally small volume of urine).
-oedema (edema: an excessive accumulation of serous fluid in the intercellular spaces of tissue).
-MSU (Mis-Stream Urine: normal urine sample).  
-CSU ( Catheter Specimen of Urine - if the urine comes from an urethral catheter).