8. URINARY-SYSTEM

Nephron: Functional unit of the kidney.

Arteriole: A small artery.

Glomerulus: Capillary tuft surrounded by Bowman’s capsule in nephrons of the

kidney.

Bowman capsule: Enclosing structure surrounding each glomerulus.

Calyx: Cup like collecting region of the renal pelvis.

Renal cortex: The outer region of the kidney.

Renal medulla: Inner region of the kidney.

Creatinine: Breakdown product of muscle metabolism. Nitrogenous waste excreted

in urine.

Hilum: Depression or hollow in that part of the kidney where blood vessels and

nerves enter and leave.

Micturition: Urination; the act of voiding.

Renin: Hormone secreted by the kidney. It raises blood pressure by influencing

vasoconstriction that is narrowing of blood vessels.

Urinary bladder: Hollow muscular sac that holds and stores urine.

Trigone: Triangular area in the urinary bladder in which ureters enter and the

urethra exit.

Urea: Major nitrogenous waste product excreted in urine.

Uric acid: A nitrogenous waste excreted in the urine.

Glomerulonephritis: Inflammation of the kidney glomerulus.

Intestitial nephritis: Inflammation of the renal interstitium (connective tissue that

lies between the renal tubules).

Nephrolithiasis: kidney stones.

Nephrotic syndrome: A group of clinical signs and symptoms caused by excessive

protein loss in the urine.

Polycystic kidney disease: Multiple fluid filled sacs within and on the kidney.

Pyelonephritis: Inflammation of the renal pelvis and renal medulla.

Renal cell carcinoma: Cancerous tumor of the kidney in adulthood.

Renal failure: Failure of the kidney to excrete wastes and maintain its filtration

function.

Renal hypertension: High blood pressure resulting from kidney disease.

Wilms tumor: Malignant tumor of the kidney occurring in childhood.

Bladder cancer: Malignant tumor of the urinary bladder.

Diabetes insipidus: Inadequate secretion or resistance of the kidney to the action

of ADH.

Diabetes mellitus: Inadequate secretion or improper utilization of insulin.

Dialysis: Process of separating nitrogenous waste materials from the bloodstream

when the kidneys no longer function.

Lithotripsy: urinary tract stones are crushed and either removed or pass from the

body in urine.

Renal biopsy: Removal of kidney tissue for microscopic examination by a

pathologist.

Renal transplantation: Surgical transfer of a complete kidney from a donor to a

recipient.

Urinary catheterization: Passage of a flexible, tubular instrument through the

urethra into the urinary bladder.

Renal angioplasty: Dilation of narrowed areas in renal arteries.

Cystoscopy: Direct visual examination of the urinary bladder with cystoscope.

Retrograde pyelogram: X-ray imaging of the kidneys, ureters, and bladder after

injection of contrast through a urinary catheter into the ureters.

Renal angiography: X-ray examination with contrast of the vascular system of the

kidney.

KUB: X-ray examination without contrast of the kidneys, ureters and bladder.

Creatinine clearance: Measures the rate at which creatinine is cleared from the

blood by the kidney.

VCUG: Voiding cystourethrogram. X-ray record of the urinary bladder and urethra

obtained while the patient is voiding urine.

BUN: Blood urea nitrogen. Measurement of urea levels in the blood.