How does the urinary system maintain homeostasis?
Quick Answer
The urinary system sustains homeostasis by eliminating wastes from the body, regulating blood acidity levels and controlling the levels of metabolites and electrolytes in the blood, such as sodium, potassium and calcium. The urinary system also maintains a stable internal environment by assisting the osmoregulation of blood volume and pressure.
Continue ReadingFull Answer
The urinary or renal system includes the kidneys, ureter, urinary bladder and urethra. This organ system filters excess fluid out of blood as well as other substances, such as excess ions and metabolic wastes, which mainly consist of urea and uric acid. These products are filtered out of the blood and combined with water before exiting the body in the form of urine.
The main function of kidneys, the most complex organs of the urinary system, is to sustain homeostasis for optimal cell and tissue metabolism. The renal arteries provide the kidneys with blood, which then leaves through the renal vein. The blood passing through the kidneys is filtered by nephrons, which are made up of a network of blood capillaries known as the glomerulus and the renal tube.
Urine exits the kidneys from this small tube to the ureters and into the bladder. The bladder stores urine until it can be passed through the urethra and out of the body. The kidneys also play a large role in osmoregulation, which is controlled by hormones, such as the antidiuretic hormone or ADH, aldosterone and angiotensin II.
The kidneys regulate the amount of water reabsorbed by the glomerulus in osmoregulation. Osmoreceptors in a region of the brain called the hypothalamus detect water depletion and stimulate ADH release from the pituitary gland to increase the permeability of the kidneys. This allows a large proportion of water to be reabsorbed before it is lost.
Learn more about Human AnatomyRelated Questions
-
Q:
How does the respiratory system help maintain homeostasis?
A: The respiratory system helps maintain homeostasis by regulating the intake of air into the body and by removing carbon dioxide from the blood, which in tur... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is electrolyte enhanced water?
A: According to Glamour Health and Diet, electrolyte enhanced water has had electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, added to aid the body's recovery after... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
How is the heart supplied with oxygenated blood?
A: The heart draws oxygenated blood from the lungs and distributes it to the rest of the body using a system of arteries and veins. Small coronary arteries an... Full Answer >Filed Under: -
Q:
What is the function of the excretory system?
A: The primary function of the excretory system is to rid the body of waste to maintain homeostasis. The excretory system also regulates the balance of water,... Full Answer >Filed Under:
You May Also Like
-
Q:
What tough connective tissues join skeletal muscles to bones?
-
Q:
Who has a better sense of smell: men or women?
-
Q:
How much saliva is produced in a day?
-
Q:
What do your sinus cavities do?
-
Q:
What does it mean if you have white blood cells in your urine?
-
Q:
What path does food take as it moves through the human digestive system?
