The Excretory or Urinary System


Kidneys
Everybody knows that some organs in the human body are necessary for survival: you need your brain, your heart, your lungs, your kidneys... KIDNEYS? Absolutely. Even though you won't find a Valentine's Day card with a kidney on the cover, the kidneys are every bit as important as the heart. You need at least one kidney to live!

Man has two kidneys. They are bean-shaped organs, located lateral to the spine "behind" the abdominal cavity. They can be felt at the junction between back and side and are partly covered by the lower ribs. When you arrive at the last rib, counting your ribs from your neck downwards, your finger is about halfway to the kidney.


The Bladder
The urinary bladder has a more or less spherical shape and is located at the end of both ureters, down in the abdomen, right behind the pubic bone. The bladder can contain about 400 cc. of urine; when empty, it is no larger than a tennisball.


The Urinary System
The urinary system consists of two kidneys, each having a ureter connecting it to the bladder. The bladder is then connected to the urethra (longer in men and shorter in women.), and the urethra ultimately leads to an opening out of the body. The function of the urinary system is to produce and remove a waste product called urine, and to regulate the amount, alkalinity or acidity, and consistency of body fluids.


The Urinary System
The Urinary System's primary function is to remove substances form the blood, form urine, and help to regulate various metabolic processesthat the body may function normally. After the urine is produced it is excreted from the body, the toxins and wastes are no longer present so .