Ch. 12 Urinary System Key Terms
Excretory system
Another name for the urinary system, which removes waste products from the body.
Kidneys
Two bean-shaped organs that filter blood, remove waste, and produce urine.
Cortex
The outer layer of the kidney
Medulla
The inner layer of the kidney, containing cone-shaped tissue
Nephron
The functional unit of the kidney where blood is filtered to produce urine.
Glomerulus
A tiny knot of capillaries inside Bowman's capsule where blood filtration begins.
Bowman's capsule
A cup-shaped structure that surrounds the glomerulus and collects the filtered fluid
Hilum
The indented area on the side of the kidney where the renal artery, vein, and ureter enter or exit.
Renal pelvis
A funnel-shaped structure that collects urine from the nephrons before it moves into the ureters.
Ureters
Muscular tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder
Bladder
: A muscular sac that stores urine
Urethra
A tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.
Urinary meatus
The external opening of the urethra
Urine
The fluid waste product, composed of water, urea, and other waste products, produced by the kidneys
Void
The act of urinating, or emptying the bladder