How Does The Urinary Tract Work?

The urinary tract is the body’s drainage system for removing urine, which is made up of wastes and extra fluid. For normal urination to occur, all body parts in the urinary tract need to work together, and in the correct order.

The urinary tract includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra.

Kidneys. Two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist. They are located just below your rib cage, one on each side of your spine. Every day, your kidneys filter about 120 to 150 quarts of blood to remove wastes and balance fluids. This process produces about 1 to 2 quarts of urine per day.

Ureters. Thin tubes of muscle that connect your kidneys to your bladder and carry urine to the bladder.

Bladder. A hollow, muscular, balloon-shaped organ that expands as it fills with urine. The bladder sits in your pelvis between your hip bones. A normal bladder acts like a reservoir. It can hold 1.5 to 2 cups of urine. Although you do not control how your kidneys function, you can control when to empty your bladder. Bladder emptying is known as urination.

Urethra. A tube located at the bottom of the bladder that allows urine to exit the body during urination.

All parts of the urinary tract—the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra—must work together to urinate normally.

The urinary tract includes two sets of muscles that work together as a sphincter, closing off the urethra to keep urine in the bladder between your trips to the bathroom.

• The internal sphincter muscles of the bladder neck and urethra stay closed until your brain sends signals to urinate.

• The external sphincter muscles surround the internal sphincter and provide extra pressure to keep the urethra closed. You can consciously squeeze the external sphincter and the pelvic floor muscles to keep urine from leaking out.

About CCMG Urology

Campbell County Medical Group Urology provides complete urological care for men and women in Gillette, Wyoming. The CCMG Urology team includes Dr. Attila Barabas, a board certified urologist who has been with CCMG since 2010, and Nurse Practitioner Breanna Lien. To learn more about our Urology department, click here.