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consists of
two kidneys,
two ureters,
the bladder and
a single urethra.
the abdomen.
There is one on each side of the spine ,the right
kidney sits just below the liver, the left below
the diaphragma and adjacent to the spleen.
Above each kidney is an adrenal gland (also
called the suprarenal gland). The asymmetry
within the abdominal cavity caused by the liver
results in the right kidney being slightly lower
than the left one while the left kidney is located
slightly more medial.
T12 to L3.
The upper parts of the kidneys are partially
protected by the eleventh and twelfth ribs.
Congenital absence of one or both kidneys,
known as unilateral or bilateral renal agenesis,
can occur.
Ureter
The ureters deliver urine to the bladder from the
kidney to bladder.
The ureters are retroperitoneal, which means
that they are located in the retroperitoneal
space .
In adults the ureters are approx 12 inches (30 cm)
long and have a muscular coat that tightens and
relaxes to move urine away from the kidney. This
muscular action is controlled by the autonomic
nervous system (ANS) and operates in a similar
way to that of peristalsis in the digestive system.
Bladder
The bladder is located on the floor of the pelvic
Structure of Bladder
The bladder itself ("musculomembranous sac") consists of 4
layers:
Serous
The outer "serous" layer is a partial layer derived from the
peritoneum.
Muscular
The detrusor muscle is the muscle of the urinary bladder
wall.
It consists of three layers of smooth (involuntary) muscle
fibres. The external layer is longitudinal, the middle layer is
circular configuration, and the internal layer is longitudinal .
Sub-mucous
This is a thin layer of areolar tissue .
Mucous
Female urethra
At only about 1.5 inches (35 mm) long, the
Male urethra
At about 8-9 inches (200 mm) long, the
Membranous Urethra
The membranous urethra is the shortest and narrowest part
Spongy Urethra
The spongy urethra is the longest of the three
sections.
It is approx. 6 inches (150 mm) in length
It is contained in the corpus spongiosum that
extends from the end of the membranous
portion, passes through the penis, and
terminates at the external orifice of the
urethra - which is the point at which the urine
leaves the body.