ureter

Examples of ureter in the following topics:

• Ureters

  • The ureters are two tubes that drain urine from each of the kidneys into the bladder.
  • In the adult, the ureters are usually 25–30 cm (10–12 in) long and 3–4 mm in diameter.
  • Each kidney has its own ureter through which urine drains into. 
  • Kidney stones and cancer are common diseases of the ureter.
  • Describe the role of ureters in the urinary system and their structure

• Overview of Urine Transport, Storage, and Elimination

  • Urine transport follows a path through the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, which are collectively known as the urinary tract.
  • Urine is essentially water, ions, and secreted molecules that leave the collecting duct of the many nephrons of the kidney and flow into the ureters.
  • The ureters are two tubes that drain urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
  • Each ureter is a muscular tube that drains into the bladder.
  • Smooth muscle contractions in the walls of the ureters, over time, send the urine in small spurts into the bladder, the organ where urine is stored before it can be eliminated.

• Renal Calculi

  • Urinary stones are typically classified by their location in the kidney (nephrolithiasis), ureter (ureterolithiasis), or bladder (cystolithiasis), or by their chemical composition (calcium-containing, struvite, uric acid, or other compounds).
  • If stones grow to sufficient size (usually at least 3 millimeters, or 0.12 inches), they can cause obstruction of the ureter.
  • Ureteral obstruction causes postrenal azotemia and hydronephrosis (distension and dilation of the renal pelvis and calyces), as well as spasm of the ureter.
  • Sometimes, a tube (ureteral stent) may be placed in the ureter to bypass the obstruction and alleviate the symptoms, and to prevent ureteral stricture after ureteroscopic stone removal.

• Urinary Bladder

  • The bladder is a hollow, sac-like organ made of transitional epithelium, similar to the ureter that feeds into it.
  • The ureters enter the bladder diagonally from its dorsolateral floor in an area called the trigone, which is a triangle-shaped anatomical region.

• Internal Anatomy of the Kidneys

  • After entering the capsule, the filtered fluid flows along the proximal convoluted tubule to the loop of Henle and then to the distal convoluted tubule and the collecting ducts, which flow into the ureter.
  • The hilum is the concave part of the bean-shape where blood vessels and nerves enter and exit the kidney; it is also the point of exit for the ureters—the urine-bearing tubes that exit the kidney and empty into the urinary bladder.

• Nephron: The Functional Unit of the Kidney

  • Urine leaves the medullary collecting ducts through the renal papillae, emptying into the renal calyces, the renal pelvis, and finally into the bladder via the ureter.

• Aging and the Urinary System

  • The kidneys are part of the urinary system, which also includes the ureters and the bladder.

• Abdominopelvic Regions

  • In the right lower quadrant sits the cecum, appendix, part of the small intestines, the right half of the female reproductive system, and the right ureter.
  • The left lower quadrant houses the majority of the small intestine, some of the large intestine, the left half of the female reproductive system, and the left ureter.

• Overview of the Urinary System

  • The renal system organs include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
  • Urine passes from the renal tube through tubes called ureters and into the bladder.

• Urinary Bladder Cancer

  • Urine enters the bladder via the ureters and exits via the urethra.