Urinary System Flashcards

Front 1

angiotensin

Back 1

a hormone that functions in water regulations in mammals by stimulating physiological changes that increase blood volume and blood pressure

Front 2

ammonia

Back 2

waste product of amino acid breakdown, in the liver it is converted into urea

Front 3

antidiruetic hormone (ADH)

Back 3

a hormone produced by the hypothalamus and released into the bloodstream by the posterior pituitary when blood volume is low; increases the permeability of the distal tubule and the collecting duct to water, allowing more water to be reabsorbed into the bloodstream

Front 4

bladder

Back 4

a hollow muscular storage organ for storing urine

Front 5

Bowman's Capsule

Back 5

the cup shaped portion of the nephron in which blood filtrate is collected from the glomerulus

Front 6

collecting duct

Back 6

a connecting tube, within the kidney, that collects urine from many nephrons and conducts it through the renal medulla into the renal pelvis. Urine may become concentrated in the collecting ducts if ADH is present.

Front 7

erythropoietin

Back 7

a hormone produced by the kidneys in response to oxygen deficiency that stimulates the production of red blood cells by the bone marrow

Front 8

excretion

Back 8

the elimination of wastes from the body through the digestive system, skin glands, urinary system, or lungs

Front 9

filtrate

Back 9

the fluid produced by filtration; in the kidneys, the fluid produced by the filtration of blood through the glomerular capillaries

Front 10

filtration

Back 10

within Bowman's capsule in each nephron of a kidney, the process by which blood is pumped under pressure through permeable capillaries of the glomerulus, forcing out water, dissolved wastes, and nutrients

Front 11

glomerulus

Back 11

a dense network of thin-walled capillaries, located within the Bowman's capsule of each nephron of the kidney, where blood pressure forces water and dissolved nutrients through capillary walls for filtration by the nephron

Front 12

hemodialysis

Back 12

a procedure that simulates kidney function in individuals with damaged or ineffective kidneys; blood is diverted from the body, artificially filtered, and returned to the body

Front 13

interstitial fluid

Back 13

fluid, similar in composition to plasma, that leaks from capillaries and acts as a medium of exchange between the body cells and the capillaries

Front 14

kidney

Back 14

one of a pair of organs of the excretory system that is located on either side of the spinal column and filters blood, removing wastes and regulating the composition and water content of blood

Front 15

loop of Henle

Back 15

a specialized portion of the tubule of the nephron that creates an osmotic concentration gradient in the fluid immediately surrounding it. this gradient in turn makes possible the production of urine more osmotically concentrated than blood plasma

Front 16

nephron

Back 16

the functional unit of the kidney; where blood is filtered and urine formed

Front 17

renal artery

Back 17

the artery carrying blood to each kidney

Front 18

renal vein

Back 18

the vein carrying blood away from each kidney

Front 19

renin

Back 19

an enzyme that is released when blood pressure and/or sodium concentration in the blood drops below a set point; initiates a cascade of events that restores blood pressure and sodium concentration

Front 20

tubular reabsorption

Back 20

the process by which cells of the tubule of the nephron remove water and nutrients from the filtrate within the tubule and return those substances to the blood

Front 21

tubular secretion

Back 21

the process by which the cells of the tubule of the nephron remove additional wastes from the blood, actively secreting those wastes into the tubule

Front 22

tubule

Back 22

the tubular portion of the nephron; includes a proximal portion, the loop of Henle, and a distal portion. Urine is formed from the blood filtrate as it passes through the tubule.

Front 23

urea

Back 23

a water soluble, nitrogen containing waste product of amino acid breakdown; one of the principal components of urine

Front 24

ureter

Back 24

a tube that conducts urine from each kidney to the bladder

Front 25

urethra

Back 25

the tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body

Front 26

urinary system

Back 26

the organ system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine, which contains cellular wastes, excess water, and nutrients, and toxic or foreign substanes. The urinary system is critical for maintaining homeostatic conditions within the bloodstream. It includes the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Front 27

urine

Back 27

the fluid produced and excreted by the urinary system; contains water and dissolved wastes, such as urea

Front 28

erthrocyte

Back 28

a red blood cell, active in oxygen transport, that contains the red pigment hemoglobin

Front 29

leukocyte

Back 29

any of the white blood cells circulating in the blood

Front 30

plasma

Back 30

the fluid, noncellular portion of the blood

Front 31

platlet

Back 31

a cell fragment that is formed from megakaryocytes in bone marrow and lacks a nucleus; circulates in the blood and plays a role in blood clotting

Front 32

hemoglobin

Back 32

the iron-containing protein that gives red blood cells their color; binds to oxygen in the lungs and releases it to the tissues