The Urinary System
MEDICAL TERMINOLOGY
Dr ATEF MASAD
3/22/2016
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Functions
 The urinary system consists of 2 kidneys,
2 ureters, a urinary bladder, and the
urethra.
 The urethra has distinct functions
depending on the sex (gender) of the
individual.
 The female urethra has ONLY a urinary
function.
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 The male urethra has both urinary and
reproductive functions.
 In both sexes, the main function of the
urinary system is the eliminate waste
products from the body.
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The Functions
 Maintain HOMEOSTASIS, or a constant
internal environment.
 Maintain constant concentrations of salt,
water, and acids.
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Anatomy of the Urinary
System
 Blood enters the kidneys through the RENAL
ARTERIES and leaves the kidneys through the
RENAL VEINS.
 Blood is filtered in the GLOMERULUS.
 The glomerulus is part of the functional unit of
the kidney called the NEPHRON.
 The nephrons are contained within the RENAL
CORTEX and RENAL MEDULLA.
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 Urine is collected in the CALICES
(singular – CALYX).
 From the calices (located within the
RENAL PELVIS) the urine enters the
URETERS.
 The ureters connect the kidneys to the
bladder.
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 Within the bladder, urine is stored until there is
enough pressure to cause it to enter the
urethra.
 The urethra carries urine from the bladder to
the outside world.
 The male urethra has three parts:
1. penile urethra – within the penis
2. membranous urethra – within the
urogenital diaphragm
3. prostatic urethra – within the prostate gland
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 The female urethra is very short and is
located superior to the vagina.
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Urinary Combining Forms
Combining
Form
Meaning Example
Cyst / o
bladder
Cyst / o / scope
Instrument to view
the bladder
Ureter / o
ureter
Ureter / o / lith
A stone or calculus
in the ureter
Glomerul / o
glomerulus
Glomerul / o/ pathy Disease of the
glomerulus
Nephr / o
kidney
Nephr / itis
Inflammation of the
kidney
Ren / o
kidney
Ren / al
Pertaining to the
kidney
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Pyel / o
Renal pelvis
Urethr / o
urethra
Urethr /o/ dynia
Ur / o
urine
Ur / emia
Urin / o
urine
Urin / ary
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Pyel / lith /o/ tomy An incision in the
renal pelvis to
remove a stone
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Pain in the
urethra
Blood in
the urine
Pertaining
to the urine
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Some Suffixes
-osis
-pathy
-pexy
-ptosis
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abnormal condition
disease
fixation
falling
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Abnormal condition
Enlargement
Hardening
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-osis
- megaly
- scler
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What does each word mean?
Nephromegaly
Enlargement of the kidney
Nephrectomy
Removal of the kidney
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The suffix –iasis is used to describe
something abnormal.
An abnormal condition of kidney stones is
Nephr / o / lith / iasis
kidney
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stone
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Abnormal
condition
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Combine nephr / o and -ptosis
Nephroptosis
Which means a dropping or prolapse of a
kidney.
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The Ureters, Bladder, and
Urethra
 Urine is conveyed from each kidney
through one of two ureters and stored in
the bladder until it is removed from the
body through the urethra.
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The suffix -ectasis means dilation or
enlargement.
Therefore, an enlargement of the ureter is
called ureter / ectasis.
A stone in the ureter is a
ureterolith
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You would use a procedure called a
ureter / o / lith /o / tomy
A surgical
procedure
ureter
stone
to remove a ureterolith.
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 Stones are formed in the urinary tract by
the deposit of crystalline substances
excreted in the urine.
 Stones can be surgically removed or
crushed so the pieces are voided in the
urine.
 The suffix -tripsy means crushing.
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 The urinary bladder is a muscular sac
that stores urine until it is removed.
 The combining forms cyst / o and
vesic / o are used to refer to the
bladder.
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Ureterolith
-> stone in the ureter.
Ureterocystoscope -> an instrument to
view the ureter and bladder.
Ureterocystoscopy -> visual
examination of the ureter and bladder.
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 The urethra differs in men and women.
In men, it serves a dual function of
conveying sperm and urine. In females,
it only conveys urine.
 The combining form for urethra is
urethr / o
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Cancers
 Malignant tumors are cancerous.
 Benign tumors are non-cancerous.
 Malignant tumors spread rapidly.
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 The combining form adeno / o
Is used to denote a gland.
Therefore, adeno / o / dynia
is a word that denotes pain in a gland.
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 The combining form carcin / o means
cancer.
 Therefore,
aden / o / carcin / oma
refers to a cancerous glandular tumor.
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 A “UTI” refers to URINARY TRACT
INFECTION.
 UTI’s account for the majority of office
visits resulting from urinary symptoms.
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The Nephron
 Each kidney contains about 1 million
NEPHRONS. These structures are the filtering
mechanisms of the kidney.
 The nephron is responsible for keeping fluid
levels balanced.
 Urine flows from the nephron into the funnelshaped CALYX.
 From the calyx, urine passes into the RENAL
PELVIS to the ureter.
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 The combining form
pyel / o
refers to the renal pelvis.
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Parts of the Nephron
 Glomerulus
 Collecting tube
 Bowman’s Capsule
The combining form
glomerul / o
refers to the glomerulus.
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Combining Forms for Color
Erythr / o
->
red
Leuk / o
->
white
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Combining Form for
Infection
 PUS is a collection of dead blood and
inflammatory cells.
 The combining form that means pus is
py / o
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 The suffix
-uria
refers to urination.
Hemat / uria ->
blood in urine
py / uria
pus in the urine
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->
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The combining form
olig / o
refers to scanty or little.
Therefore, olig / uria means little or
scanty urination.
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Miscellaneous
The combining form for night is
noct / o
The suffix -phobia means fear.
The prefix in- refers to “not”.
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Other Urinary Disorders
AZOTURIA - an increase in nitrogen in the urine.
DIURESIS – abnormally large amount of urine.
ENURESIS – involuntary discharge of urine after the age
which bladder control should have been established.
HYPOSPADIAS – abnormally place urethral opening on
the underside of the penis.
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PHIMOSIS – stenosis (narrowing) of the
foreskin opening of the penis.
UREMIA – elevate level of waste products
(UREA) in the blood.
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