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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 .
Diagram showing the basic physiologic mechanisms of the kidney. The kidney's ability to perform many of its functions depends on the three fundamental functions of filtration, reabsorption, and secretion, whose sum is called renal clearance or renal excretion. That is: Urinary excretion rate = Filtration rate – Reabsorption rate + Secretion ...
The functions of the kidney include maintenance of acid-base balance; regulation of fluid balance; regulation of sodium, potassium, and other electrolytes; clearance of toxins; absorption of glucose, amino acids, and other small molecules; regulation of blood pressure; production of various hormones, such as erythropoietin; and activation of vitamin D.
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The kidney is well supplied with lymphatic vessels, [114] which remove excess fluid with substances and macromolecules dissolved in it from the interstitium that fills the space between the tubules and blood vessels. [115] [116] The anatomy of the lymphatic system of the kidney is similar between mammals. [117]
The kidneys are a pair of organs of the excretory system in vertebrates, which maintain the balance of water and electrolytes in the body (osmoregulation), filter the blood, remove metabolic waste products, and, in many vertebrates, also produce hormones (in particular, renin) and maintain blood pressure.
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The adjective renal, meaning related to the kidney, is from the Latin rēnēs, meaning kidneys; the prefix nephro-is from the Ancient Greek word for kidney, nephros (νεφρός). [37] For example, surgical removal of the kidney is a nephrectomy, while a reduction in kidney function is called renal dysfunction.