Genitourinary system

The organ system comprising the urinary organs and reproductive organs, which share developmental and anatomical connections.

Kidney: An organ that filters blood, balances body fluids and electrolytes, and produces urine. Paired kidneys produce urine, the system’s starting point.
Nephron: The kidney’s microscopic functional unit, where blood is filtered and urine is formed. Nephrons generate the urine that enters the collecting system.
Urology: The medical and surgical specialty concerned with diseases of the urinary tract and male reproductive system. Urology treats many disorders involving the system’s urinary organs and male reproductive organs.
Intermediate mesoderm: An embryonic tissue layer that gives rise to much of the urinary and reproductive systems. It supplies the developmental origin of many genitourinary organs.
Urinary system: The organs that produce, transport, store, and eliminate urine. It names the urinary component alone, unlike the broader genitourinary grouping.
Ureter: A muscular tube that carries urine from a kidney to the bladder. The paired ureters connect the kidneys to the bladder.
Micturition: The process of emptying the urinary bladder through coordinated muscle and nerve activity. Bladder storage ends with coordinated emptying through the urethra.
Nephrology: The medical specialty focused on kidney function and kidney diseases. Kidney disorders are a major part of genitourinary medicine.
Pronephros: The earliest, transient kidney structure formed during vertebrate embryonic development. It is the first stage in the sequential development of the kidneys.
Pelvic floor: A group of muscles and connective tissues supporting pelvic organs and helping control urination and defecation. It supports several genitourinary organs without belonging exclusively to either system.

Linked from 1 page

Human penisNarrower topic: The penis belongs to an integrated system whose urinary and reproductive structures extend beyond it.