Health Sciences 1101
Medical Terminology
Module 7
The Urinary System
Anatomy and Physiology of the
Urinary System
Principle Functions:
Remove waste products from the blood and
excrete them in the urine
Regulate the body’s tissue fluid
Maintain a balance of electrolytes (sodium,
potassium, calcium)
Maintain an acid-base balance in the blood
Anatomy and Physiology of the
Urinary System
Anatomy and Physiology of the
Urinary System
Anatomy and Physiology of the
Urinary System
Anatomy and Physiology of the
Urinary System
Excellent UA Video
General Urinary System Terms
Nephr/o or Ren/o: Pertaining to the kidney
Ur/o or urin/o: Pertaining to urine or the urinary
tract
Urology: Study of the urinary system
Urologist: Expert in the study of the urinary
system as well as some reproductive issues
Nephrology: Study of the kidneys
Nephrologist: Expert in the study of the kidneys
and kidney disease.
Urinary System Anatomy Terms
Cyst/o or vesic/o: Bladder
Glomerul/o: Glomerulus
Pyel/o: Renal Pelvis
Ureter/o: Ureter
Urethr/o: Urethra
Aden/o: gland
Other Important Urinary
System Terms
Meat/o: opening or tunnel through a body part
-uria: In the urine or pertaining to the urine
-ptsosis: prolapse, or downward placement of
-pexy: To fix in place, fixation
Lith or calculus: stone
Diurese: Increase the rate of urination
Supra: Above
Other Important Urinary
System Terms
Olig/o: Decreased or diminished
Poly: Increased or multiple
Micturition: Urination, or voiding urine
Malignant: cancerous
Benign: Non-cancerous
Inflammation: pathologic response that includes,
pain, heat, swelling and redness.
Retro-: to go back, backward
Urinary System Pathology
Infections and inflammation of the various parts of the
urinary tract. (remember the terms –itis, -cele, pathy, -oma, algia, etc.)
Upper urinary tract: Kidneys and ureters
Lower urinary tract: Bladder and urethra
Incontinence: Uncontrolled loss of urine from the
bladder
Enuresis: Sometimes called bedwetting. Inability to
control urination after the age where such control is
usually gained.
Nocturia: Excessive voiding or urine at night
Urinary System Pathology
Hypospadias: An abnormal opening
of the male urethra on the
undersurface of the penis.
Typically congenital.
Azoturia: An abnormal increase in
nitrogenous compounds in the
urine.
Uremia: Elevated level of urea or
other protein waste products in
the blood.
Wilms tumor: Rapidly developing
tumor most often seen in
children.
Urinary System Pathology
Interstitial nephritis: inflammation and/or damage to
the tubules due to a toxic agent or lack of blood flow
Glomerulonephritis: Disruption of normal glomerular
filtration. Often a hypersensitive reaction.
Renal failure: The kidneys can no longer adequately
filter the blood.
Acute renal failure: Can result from lack of blood flow
to the kidneys
Renal hypertension: High blood pressure that results
from kidney disease
Diagnosis and Treatment
Urinalysis (UA): Physical, chemical and
microscopic examination of urine.
Blood Urea Nitrogen: Laboratory test
that measures the amount of urea
excreted by the kidneys into the blood
Kidney-ureter-bladder (KUB):
Radiographic technique used to
determine the location, size, shape
and any malformation of the kidneys,
ureters, and bladder
Intravenous pyelogram: Radiographic
procedure in which a contrast medium
is injected intravenously and serial
x-ray films are taken to provide
visualization of the entire urinary
tract.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Renal scan: Technique that determines
renal function and shape through
measurement of a radioactive
substance that is injected
intravenously and concentrates in the
kidney.
Voiding cystourography: Radiography of
the bladder and urethra during the
process of
voiding urine after the introduction of
a contrast medium.
Retrograde pyelography: Radiographic
procedure in which a contrast
medium is introduced through a
cystoscope directly
into the bladder and ureters, using
small-caliber catheters.
Diagnosis and Treatment
Catheterization: Insertion of a
hollow flexible tube into a
body cavity or organ to instill
a substance or remove fluid.
Dialysis: The patient’s blood is
cleansed by circulation
through a dialysis machine
which acts as an artificial
kidney
Renal transplant: Surgical
transfer of a complete kidney
from a donor to a recipient.