The urinary tract is the system through which urine is produced, transported, stored, and eliminated from the body.
Here are the realistic diagrams of the human urinary system, detailed and scientifically accurate, illustrating the urinary system's structure.
The anatomy of the urinary tract can be divided into upper and lower parts.
Here's a description of each part:
Upper urinary tract:
1. Kidneys:
The kidneys are the primary organs responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.
They are a pair of bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, just below the ribcage.
Each kidney contains around a million nephrons, which are the functional units responsible for filtration, reabsorption, secretion, and excretion.
2. Ureters:
These are a pair of muscular tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
Each ureter is about 10-12 inches (25-30 cm) long and is connected to a kidney at one end and the bladder at the other.
The ureters use peristalsis, a series of involuntary muscular contractions, to move urine along their length.
Lower urinary tract:
1. Urinary Bladder:
The bladder is a hollow, muscular organ that acts as a reservoir for storing urine.
It is located in the pelvic cavity, posterior to the pubic symphysis.
The bladder's walls are made of smooth muscle called the detrusor muscle, which contracts during urination to expel urine.
The capacity of the bladder varies but can typically hold 400-600 mL of urine.
2. Urethra:
The urethra is the final part of the urinary tract, responsible for carrying urine from the bladder to the exterior of the body.
It has two sphincters, the internal and external urethral sphincters, which control the release of urine.
The urethra differs in length and structure between males and females.
In males, the urethra is about 8 inches (20 cm) long and passes through the prostate gland, the urogenital diaphragm, and the penis. The male urethra has three sections: the prostatic urethra, the membranous urethra, and the spongy (penile) urethra.
In females, the urethra is much shorter, approximately 1.5 inches (4 cm) long, and extends from the bladder to the vaginal vestibule. The female urethra has a single section called the urethral meatus.