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12.1: Main Structures

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    84083

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    The Y-shaped urinary system consists of two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra (Figure 12.1). The bean-shaped kidneys lie behind the organs in the abdominal cavity. The kidneys perform this system's main functions for homeostasis. In doing so, they slowly produce urine, which passes through the ureters and into the urinary bladder, where it is temporarily stored. When the bladder becomes partially filled, it contracts, forcing the urine through the urethra and out of the body.

    clipboard_ebf62c9131af8b618053429adb9bdd5de.png
    Figure 12.1 The urinary system. (Copyright 2020: Augustine G. DiGiovanna, Ph.D., Salisbury University, Maryland. Used with permission.)

    For short videos on topics on interest, search Blausen. For Internet images of normal urinary system structures or diseases, search the Images section of http://www.google.com/ for the name of a particular structure or disease.


    This page titled 12.1: Main Structures is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Augustine G. DiGiovanna via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform.