Term | Definition |
arteriole | small artery |
calyx ; calix | cuplike collecting region of the renal pelvis |
catheter | tube for injecting or removing fluid |
cortex | outer region of an organ |
creatinine | nitrogenous waste excreted in urine |
electrolyte | chemical element that carries an electrical charge when dissolving in water |
erythropoietin | hormone secreted by the kidney to stimulate production of res blood cells by bone marrow |
filtration | process whereby some substances pass through a filter |
glomerulus capsule | enclosing structure surrounding each glomerulus : also called the Bowman capsule |
glomerulus | tiny ball of capillaries the kidney |
hilum | depression in the part of an organ where blood vessels and nerves enter and leave |
kidney | one of two bean-shaped organs that filter nitrogenous waste from the bloodstream to form urine |
meatus | opening or canal |
medulla | inner region of an organ |
nephron | the functional unit of the kidney where filtration, reabsorption and secretion take place |
nitrogenous waste | substance containing nitrogen and excreted in urine |
potassium (K+) | an electrolyte regulated by the kidney |
reabsorption | renal tubules return materials necessary to the body back into the bloodstream |
renal artery | blood vessel that carries blood to kidney |
renal pelvis | central collection region in the kidneys |
renal tubules | microscopic tubes in the kidney where urine is formed after filtration |
renal vein | blood vessel that carries blood away from the kidneys |
renin | hormone secreted by the kidney that raises blood pressure |
sodium (Na+) | an electrolyte regulated in the blood and urine by the kidneys |
trigone | triangular area in the urinary bladder |
urea | major nitrogenous wasted excreted in the urine |
ureter | one of two tubes leasing from the kidneys to the urinary bladder |
urethra | tube leading from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body |
uric acid | nitrogenous waste product excreted in the urine |
urinary bladder | hollow, muscular sac that holds and stores urine |
urination (voiding) | process of expelling urine, |