How is urea removed from the body

Kidneys filter and remove several toxic materials from the body that are the products of food metabolism. These waste materials can cause problems in the body if they build up.

The kidneys also control the fluid and acid-base balance in the body. The kidneys are 2 bean-shaped organs. They are located below the ribs toward the middle of the back. Their function is to:.

Keep a stable balance of chemicals, such as salts and other substances in the blood. The kidneys remove waste products called urea from the blood through tiny filtering units called nephrons. There are about one million nephrons in each kidney. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries, called a glomerulus, and a small tube called a renal tubule.

Blood enters the glomerulus and is filtered there. This filtered fluid then passes through the tubule where substances and water are added or removed. The fluid that remains is urine.

Once the urine is formed, it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney. Each nephron consists of a ball formed of small blood capillaries glomerulus and a small tube called a renal tubule. Urea, together with water and other waste substances, forms the urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tubules of the kidney.

Two ureters. These narrow tubes carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Muscles in the ureter walls keep tightening and relaxing. This forces urine downward, away from the kidneys. If urine backs up, or is allowed to stand still, a kidney infection can develop. About every 10 to 15 seconds, small amounts of urine are emptied into the bladder from the ureters. This triangle-shaped, hollow organ is located in the lower belly.

It is held in place by ligaments that are attached to other organs and the pelvic bones. The bladder's walls relax and expand to store urine. They contract and flatten to empty urine through the urethra. The typical healthy adult bladder can store up to 2 cups of urine for 2 to 5 hours. Two sphincter muscles. These circular muscles help keep urine from leaking by closing tightly like a rubber band around the opening of the bladder. Learn more. The urinary system's function is to filter blood and create urine as a waste by-product.

The organs of the urinary system include the kidneys, renal pelvis, ureters, bladder and urethra. The body takes nutrients from food and converts them to energy. After the body has taken the food components that it needs, waste products are left behind in the bowel and in the blood. The kidney and urinary systems help the body to eliminate liquid waste called urea, and to keep chemicals, such as potassium and sodium, and water in balance. Urea is produced when foods containing protein, such as meat, poultry, and certain vegetables, are broken down in the body.

Urea is carried in the bloodstream to the kidneys, where it is removed along with water and other wastes in the form of urine. Other important functions of the kidneys include blood pressure regulation and the production of erythropoietin, which controls red blood cell production in the bone marrow.

Kidneys also regulate the acid-base balance and conserve fluids. Two kidneys. This pair of purplish-brown organs is located below the ribs toward the middle of the back.