homeostasis Theabilitytomaintainastableinternalenvironmentdespiteexternalchanges.
kidney Organ that filters and cleans the blood and forms urine; also maintains the volume
of body fluids, maintains the balance of salt ions in body fluids, and excretes harmful
metabolic by-products such as urea, ammonia, and uric acid.
kidney dialysis The process of artificially filtering the blood of wastes; a patient’s blood
is sent through a filter that removes waste products and the clean blood is returned to
the body.
kidney failure When the kidneys are not able to regulate water and chemicals in the body
or remove waste products from the blood.
kidney stone ”Stones” formed when certain mineral wastes in urine crystallize; may be
found anywhere in the urinary system.
nephron Tiny, tube-shaped filtering unit found inside each kidney.
urea A nitrogen-containing molecule that is made when foods containing protein, such as
meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body.
ureter Tube-shaped structure that brings urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
urethra Structure through urine leaves the body.
urinary bladder Organ that collects the urine which comes from the kidneys.
urinary system The organ system that makes, stores, and gets rid of urine.
urinary tract infection (UTI) Bacterial infections of any part of the urinary tract.
urination The process of releasing urine from the body.
urine A liquid that is formed by the kidneys when they filter wastes from the blood;
contains mostly water and also dissolved salts and nitrogen-containing molecules.
Points to Consider
- Next we turn our attention to the nervous system. What do you think the nervous
system is? What do you think it does?