Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The ureters can be affected by a number of diseases, including urinary tract infections and kidney stone. Stenosis is when a ureter is narrowed, due to for example chronic inflammation. Congenital abnormalities that affect the ureters can include the development of two ureters on the same side or abnormally placed ureters. Additionally, reflux ...
The human urinary system, also known as the urinary tract or renal system, consists of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and the urethra. The purpose of the urinary system is to eliminate waste from the body, regulate blood volume and blood pressure, control levels of electrolytes and metabolites , and regulate blood pH .
The kidney also receives input from the parasympathetic nervous system, [23] by way of the renal branches of the vagus nerve; the function of this is yet unclear. [ 22 ] [ 24 ] Sensory input from the kidney travels to the T10–11 levels of the spinal cord and is sensed in the corresponding dermatome . [ 22 ]
In the human adult, the ureters are usually 25–30 cm (10–12 in) long. In humans, the ureters arise from the renal pelvis on the medial aspect of each kidney before descending towards the bladder on the front of the psoas major muscle. The ureters cross the pelvic brim near the bifurcation of the iliac arteries (which they run over).
Metanephros is the most complex form of kidney. [44] Each metanephric kidney is characterized by a large number of nephrons and a highly branched system of collecting tubules and ducts, [28] that open into the ureter. [48] Such branching in the metanephros is unique in relation to the pronephros and mesonephros. [44]
Vascular system of the kidney is also developed with the development of nephrons, with large vessels branching from the dorsal aorta. [176] In some mammals, kidney organogenesis ends before birth, while in others it may continue for some time into the postpartum period [177] (for example, in rodents it ends about a week after birth). [178]
The renal pelvis or pelvis of the kidney is the funnel-like dilated part of the ureter in the kidney. It is formed by the convergence of the major calyces , acting as a funnel for urine flowing from the major calyces to the ureter.
One of the measures of kidney function is the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). Other tests that can assess the function of the kidneys include assessment of electrolyte levels such as potassium and phosphate, assessment of acid-base status by the measurement of bicarbonate levels from a vein, and assessment of the full blood count for anaemia.