Urinary System Overview

The kidneys filter blood, remove waste, and regulate homeostasis.

Located outside the peritoneum, on either side of the spine, in the lumbar region

Functional unit of the kidney, filtering blood to form urine.

Filtration, reabsorption, and secretion, done within the nephron.

Transport urine from kidneys to the bladder.

Stores urine until it's released.

Conducts urine from bladder to outside of body.

Mostly water, with waste products like urea and creatinine, salts, acids, and drugs.

The urinary system is responsible for filtering waste products from the blood and regulating the balance of fluids and electrolytes in the body.

Retroperitoneal means located behind the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity.

The kidneys secrete substances such as renin, erythropoietin, and calciferol.

The nephron is the functional unit of the kidney, responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.

The three parts of a nephron are the glomerulus, Bowman's capsule, and the renal tubule.

During glomerular filtration, blood is filtered through the glomerulus, separating waste products from the blood.

Tubular reabsorption is the process of essential substances being reabsorbed back into the bloodstream from the renal tubule.

Tubular secretion is the process of additional waste products being secreted from the bloodstream into the renal tubule.

The ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

The bladder stores urine until it is released from the body.

The body's ability to resist antigens that damage tissues and organs.

A molecule that triggers an immune response. It can be found on pathogens, toxins, or tumor cells.

Non-specific defenses you're born with, like skin, mucus, and white blood cells. They act quickly but aren't specific to a particular antigen.

Specific defenses that develop after exposure to an antigen. They have memory and react faster upon re-exposure.

White blood cells that produce and release antibodies to fight specific antigens.

White blood cells that produce antibodies to fight specific antigens.

Specialized lymphocytes that remember specific antigens and quickly trigger an immune response upon re-exposure.

T lymphocytes that activate other immune cells, like B cells and cytotoxic T cells, to fight infection.

T lymphocytes that directly kill infected cells or cancer cells by releasing toxic substances.

Proteins that work with antibodies and T cells to help eliminate pathogens.

The immune system produces antibodies after exposure to an antigen, providing long-term protection.

Antibodies are acquired from an external source, offering short-term protection.

Antibodies are produced after natural exposure to an antigen, like getting sick.

Antibodies are passed from mother to baby through placenta or breast milk.

Antibodies are produced after vaccination, exposing the body to a weakened or inactive antigen.