The urinary system

Urinary system consists of paired kidneys with ureters, a urinary bladder, and urethra.

The kidney is covered by a thin connective tissue capsule and consists of an outer cortex and medullary pyramid or papillae. The kidneys are bean-shaped organs that lie in the abdomen, retroperitoneal to the organs of digestion, around or just below the ribcage and close to the lumbar spine. The organ is about the size of a human fist and is surrounded by what is called perinephric fat.

H umans produce about 2.9 litres of urine over 24 hours, although this amount may vary according to circumstances. Because the rate of filtration at the kidney is proportional to the glomerular filtration rate, which is in turn related to the blood flow through the kidney, changes in body fluid status can affect kidney function. Hormones exogenous and endogenous to the kidney alter the amount of blood flowing through the glomerulus. Some medications interfere directly or indirectly with urine production. 

In human anatomy, the ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle fibers that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In the adult, the ureters are usually 25–30 cm long and ~3-4 mm in diameter.

The urinary bladder is the organ that collects urine excreted by the kidneys before disposal by urination. A hollow muscular, and distensible (or elastic) organ, the bladder sits on the pelvic floor. Urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra.

In anatomy, the urethra is a tube that connects the urinary bladder to the genitals for the removal of fluids out of the body. In males, the urethra travels through the penis, and carries semen as well as urine. In females, the urethra is shorter and emerges above the vaginal opening.

	kidney	нирка
	bladder	сечовий міхур
	connective tissue	сполучна тканина
	outer cortex	зовнішня кора
	medullary pyramid	медулярна піраміда (відноситься до кісткового мозку)
	papilla	сосочок
	retroperitoneal	відноситься до задньої стінки черевної порожнини
	fist	кулак
	glomerulus	клубочок
	smooth muscle fibers	м’які м’язові волокна
	pelvic	тазовий
	hollow organ	порожнистий орган
	genitals	геніталії
	removal	переміщення, видалення
	vaginal opening	вагінальний отвір

Translate the English proverbs and give Ukrainian equivalents

1. “Even when a doctor is good, he is best seen departing”

2. “He that fears death lives not”

3. “As the man lives so shall he die”

4. “It is an ill bird that fouls its own nest”

5. “If the pills were pleasant, they would not be gilded”

4. “One drop of poison infects the whole ton of wine”

Learn these word combinations . Make up sentences to show you understand the meaning

to be of the same kidney – одного поля ягода

wet nurse - годувальниця

to wet one’s bed – нічне нетримання сечі

wet behind the ears – ще молоко на губах не висохло

to be wet to the skin – промокнути до нитки

“Wet Paint” – “ Обережно – пофарбовано”

Use these questions to make a dialogue

During the day, do you usually have to urinate frequently?

Do you ever wake up at night to urinate?

Do you have pain on urination?

Have you ever passed blood while urinating?

Are you a bed wetter?

Does the stream dribble?

Do you have interruption of the flow?

What colour is the urine (straw, ambercolored, yellow, dark, pale)?

Is the urine clear or turbid?

Is an attack of a renal colic accompanied by chill, fever, nausea, vomiting, thirst, headache?

Have you ever passed stones or sand while urinating?