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| The Genitro-Urinary System |
Waste products from the body are regularly let out both in liquid and solid form. The system in the body which is responsible for the production of liquid waste or urine is called the Urinary system. The prime organs in this system are called the Kidneys. All animals with a backbone and man have two kidneys. Kidneys look like large sized brown beans. Blood which flows from the heart through arteries is pumped through the Kidneys where it is cleaned of waste.
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On the inside, Kidneys have millions of microscopic sections which filter the waste chemicals from our blood. Each filtering unit has a tightly bunched group of capillaries called Glomerulus, which is surrounded by a ‘U’ shaped structure called the Bowman’s capsule. As blood flows through the capillaries, waste chemicals and water are absorded by the Bowman’s capsule.
After it has been filtered, the water is returned to the blood, through kidney tubules which are connected to the Bowman’s capsule, and harmful chemicals sent to the Ureter. The kidneys let the waste flow out through the ureter, which is thin tube about 30 cm long leading to the bladder. When this bladder is relatively full, we have an urge to pass urine. From the bladder urine flows into the Urethra and subsequently out of the body. Kidneys also regulate the acidity level in the blood and excess acid is passed out with the urine.
The kidneys are an important organ of our body and their failure to function can lead to a waste chemical build up in the body. For a person whose kidneys have failed, doctors use a Kidney machine for cleaning the blood. This machine draws blood from the patient’s artery, cleans it externally and re-pumps it into his body through a vein. Diseases of the kidneys cannot be diagnosed easily. Initially an examination of the urine is carried out. In case of difficulty in diagnosis a technique of injecting a dye into the vein and then taking an X ray of it, is used.
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