Urinary System: Overview

What is it?

The urinary system is made up of four organs: kidneys, ureter, bladder, and urethra.

What does it do?

Its job is to filter waste and fluid from the blood and remove them from the body.

How does it work?

Kidneys filter waste and fluids from the blood. The waste and fluids leave as urine.

Ureter carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.

Bladder stores urine and controls the release of urine.

Urethra allows urine to exit the body during urination.

  1. The Urinary Tract & How It Works. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/urologic-diseases/urinary-tract-how-it-works. Published June 2020. Accessed December 1, 2020.
  2. Anatomy of the Urinary System. John Hopkins Medicine. https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/wellness-and-prevention/anatomy-of-the-urinary-system. Accessed December 1, 2020.