SECTION 13 URINARY SYSTEM
The urinary system has several important functions, including:
(1) constantly filtering blood to remove waste materials and urea
(2) maintaining proper balance of water, salts, and acids
(3) removing excess fluids from the body
Major organs found in this system are:
two kidneys
two ureters (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder)
one urinary bladder (both ureters drain into this bladder)
one urethra (tube from bladder to outside)
Word Elements (We will first look at some of the word elements that might be used in this system. Listen as each word element is being pronounced. Practice these word elements several times before going on to the next section.)
-algia (al’ je a) means pain or suffering algia
-cele means tumor or swelling, hernia, cyst cele
cortic/o (kor ti ko) means outer region or cortex cortico
cyst/o (sis to) means sac of fluid or bladder cysto
dia- (di a) means through or complete dia
dys- (dis) means bad, labored, difficult, painful dys
-ectasis (ek’ ta sis) means stretching, dilation, enlargement ectasis
-ectomy (ek’ to me) means surgical removal, called excision ectomy
-emia (em e a) means blood condition emia
epi- (ep i) means above or over epi
glomerul/o (glo mer’ u lo) means ball or cluster, as in glomerulus glomerulo
-gram (gram) means record or image gram
-graphy (graf e) means the procedure of recording or writing graphy
hem/o (he mo) means blood hemo
hydr/o (hi dro) means water or fluid hydro
hyp/o (hi po) means below or beneath hypo
inter- (in ter) means between inter
intra- (in tra) means within or inside intra
-it is (i’ tis) means inflammation itis
lithiasis (lith i’ a sis) means formation or presence of stones lithiasis
lith/o (lith o) means stone, medically called calculus litho
lysis (li sis) means dissolution, decompensation, setting free, separation lysis
malacia (ma la’ she a) means abnormal softening malacia
meat/o (me a to) means opening or passageway meato
medull/o (me dul lo) means inner portion or middle medullo
nephr/o (nef ro) means kidney nephro
noct/o (nok to) means night nocto
olig/o (ol i go) means small, few, scanty oligo
-oscopy (os ko pe) means procedure to visually examine oscopy
-ostomy (os to me) means to create an opening ostomy
-osis (o sis) means condition, status, or process osis
-otomy (ot o me) means to cut into or surgical incision otomy
-pathy (path e) means disease, feeling, suffering pathy
-pexy (pek se) means surgical fixation or to put in place pexy
-plasty (plas te) means surgical correction or repair plasty
poly- (pol e) means many or much poly
-ptosis (to sis) means dropping, drooping, prolapse ptosis
pyel/o (pi e lo) means renal pelvis, trough, basin, or bowl of the kidney pyelo
py/o (pi o) means pus pyo
ren/o (re no) means kidney reno
retr/o (ret ro) means back or behind retro
scler/o (skle ro) means hard, sclera, white of the eye sclero
spad/o (spa do) means draw off spado
sten/o (sten o) means narrow or contraction steno
-tripsy (trip’ se) means crushing tripsy
ureter/o (u re’ ter o) means tube from kidney to bladder. This tube is the ureter. uretero
urethr/o (u re thro) means tube from bladder to outside. This tube is the urethra. urethro
-uria (u re a) means urination or urine uria
urin/o (u ri no) means urine or urinary organ urino
ur/o (u ro) means urine or urinary tract uro
venous (ve’ nus) means pertaining to a vein venous
vesic/o (ves’ i ko) means urinary bladder vesico
Urinary System Words anuria (an u’ re a) is the absence of urine formation
an- means without
uria means urine anuria
calculus (kal’ ku lus)--commonly called stone--calculus is singular; calculi is plural calculus
catheterization (kath” e ter i za’ shun) means the use or passage of a catheter catheterization
cortex (kor’ teks) is the outer layer of an organ cortex
cystalgia (sis tal’ je a) means pain in the bladder
cyst/o means bladder
-algia means pain cystalgia
cystectomy (sis tek’ to me) is the surgical removal of the bladder
cyst/o means bladder -ectomy means surgical removal cystectomy
cystitis (sis ti’ tis) means inflammation of the bladder
cyst/o means bladder
-itis means inflammation cystitis
cystocele (sis’ to sel) is a bladder hernia that protrudes into the vagina
cyst/o means bladder
cele means hernia or swelling cystocele
cystography (sis tog’ ra fe) is the radiographic study of any cyst into which a radiopaque dye has been injected into the bladder
cyst/o means bladder
-graphy means the procedure of recording or writing cystography
cystopexy (sis’ to pek” se) is surgical fixation of the bladder to the wall of the abdomen
cyst/o means bladder
-pexy means surgical fixation cystopexy cystoscopy (sis tos’ ko pe) is the examination of the bladder with the cystoscope
cyst/o means bladder
-oscopy means procedure to view with a scope cystoscopy
diuresis (di” u re’ sis) means the secretion and passage of large amounts of urine diuresis
dysuria (dis u’ re a) is painful or difficult urination
dys- means painful, difficult
uria means urine dysuria
enuresis (en” u re’ sis) also known as bed wetting enuresis
epispadias (ep” i spa’ de as) is an abnormal congenital opening of the urethra on the back
(or upper side) of the penis
epi- means upon epispadias
glomerulonephritis (glo mer” u lo ne fri’ tis) is nephritis in which the lesions primarily involve the glomeruli
glomerul/o means ball, cluster nephr/o means kidney
-itis means inflammation glomerulonephritis
glomerulus (glo mer’ u lus) is a group of twisted capillaries or nerve fibers glomerulus
hemodialysis (he” mo di al’ i sis, hem” o di al’ i sis) is a method for reproducing the function of the kidneys by circulating blood through tubes made of semipermeable membranes
hem/o means blood
dia- means through
-lysis means dissolution hemodialysis
hydroureter (hi” dro u re’ ter) is distention of the ureter with fluid due to an obstruction
hydr/o means fluid
ureter means tube from kidney to bladder hydroureter
hypospadias (hi” po spa’ de as) is an abnormal congenital opening of the male urethra on the undersurface of the penis
hyp/o means under, below hypospadias interstitial cystitis (in” ter stish’ al sis ti tis) means inflammation and irritation of the bladder wall
inter- means between
cyst/o means bladder
-itis means inflammation interstitial cystitis
intravenous pyelogram (in tra ve’ nus pi’ e lo gram) is an x-ray of the urinary tract in which a radiopaque material is given intravenously
intra- means within
venous means vein
pyel/o means pelvis
-gram means record or image intravenous pyelogram
KUB is the abbreviation for kidneys, ureters, and bladder; used in reference to roentgen- ray study of the abdomen
KUB
lithotripsy (lith’ o trip” se) means the crushing of a calculus in the bladder or urethra
lith/o means stone
-tripsy means crushing lithotripsy meatotomy (me” a tot’ o me) is the incision of the urinary meatus to enlarge the opening
meat/o means opening
-otomy means incision meatotomy
medulla (me dul’ la) is the inner portion of an organ in contrast to the outer portion, or cortex medulla
micturition (mik tu ri’ shun) means voiding of urine micturition
nephrectomy (ne frek’ to me) is the removal of a kidney
nephr/o means kidney
-ectomy means surgical removal nephrectomy
nephritis (nef ri’ tis) is the inflammation of a kidney
nephr/o means kidney
-itis means inflammation nephritis
nephrolith (nef” ro lith) is a stone in the kidney nephr/o means kidney
lith/o means stone nephrolith
nephrolithiasis (nef” ro lith i’ a sis) is the presence of calculi in kidney
nephr/o means kidney
lithiasis means formation of stones nephrolithiasis
nephrolithotomy (nef” ro lith ot’ o me) is a renal incision for the removal of calculus
nephr/o means kidney
lith means stone
-otomy means surgical incision nephrolithotomy
nephrolysis (ne frol’ i sis) is the surgical detachment of an inflamed kidney from paranephric (par” a nef’ rik) adhesions
nephr/o means kidney
-lysis means dissolution or decompensation nephrolysis
nephromalacia (nef” ro ma la’ se a) is abnormal renal softness or softening
nephr/o means kidney
-malacia means abnormal softening nephromalacia
nephron (nef’ ron) is the structural and functional unit of the kidney nephron
nephropathy (ne frop’ a the) means disease of the kidney
nephr/o means kidney
-pathy means disease nephropathy
nephrosclerosis (nef” ro skle ro’ sis) is renal sclerosis or hardening
nephr/o means kidney
scler/o means hard
-osis means condition nephrosclerosis
nephrostomy (ne fros’ to me) means formation of an artificial fistula into the renal pelvis
nephr/o means kidney
-ostomy means to create an opening nephrostomy
nocturia (nok tu’ re a) means urination, especially excessive, during the night
noct/o means night
-uria means urine nocturia
oliguria (ol ig u’ re a) is the diminished formation of urine
olig/o means few, small
-uria means urine oliguria
polyuria (pol” e u’ re a) is excessive secretion and discharge of urine
poly means excessive
-uria means urine polyuria
pyelonephritis (pi” e lo ne fri’ tis) is inflammation of the kidney substance and pelvis
pyel/o means pelvis
nephr means kidney
-itis means inflammation pyelonephritis
pyeloplasty (pi” e lo plas” te) is surgical repair of the pelvis of the kidney
pyel/o means pelvis
-plasty means surgical repair pyeloplasty
renal failure (re’ nal) means acute failure of the kidney to perform its essential functions renal failure
renal pelvis (re’ nal pel’ vis) is the expanded proximal end of the ureter renal pelvis
sphincter (sfingk’ ter) is the circular muscle constricting an orifice sphincter
urea (u re’ a) is the chief nitrogenous constituent of urine urea
uremia (u re’ me a) is a toxic condition associated with renal insufficiency produced by retention in the blood of nitrogenous substances normally excreted by the kidney
ur/o means urine
-emia means blood condition uremia
ureterectasis (u re” ter ek’ ta sis) is dilatation of the ureter
ureter is the tube from the kidney to the bladder
-ectasis means to stretch ureterectasis
ureterectomy (u re” ter ek’ to me) is the excision of the ureter
ureter means the tube from the kidney to the bladder -ectomy means surgical removal ureterectomy ureterostenosis (u re” ter o ste no’ sis) is stricture of a ureter
ureter means the tube from the kidney to the bladder
sten/o means narrowing
-osis means condition ureterostenosis
ureters (u’ re terz) are the tubes that carry urine from the kidney to bladder ureters
ureteroplasty (u re’ ter o plas” te) is plastic surgery of the ureter
ureter means the tube from the kidney to the bladder
-plasty means surgical repair ureteroplasty
urethra (u re’ thra) is the tube from the bladder to outside urethra
urethralgia (u re thral’ je a) is pain in the urethra
urethr/o means the tube from the bladder to the outside
-algia means pain urethralgia urethropexy (u re’ thro peks e) is surgical fixation of the urethra
urethr/o means the tube from the bladder to the outside
-pexy means surgical fixation urethropexy
urethrostenosis (u re” thro sten o’ sis) means narrowing of the tube from the bladder to the outside
urethr/o means tube from bladder to outside
stenosis means condition of narrowing urethrostenosis
urethrostomy (u re thros’ to me) is the formation of a permanent fistula opening into the urethra
urethr/o means the tube from the bladder to the outside
-ostomy means to create an opening urethrostomy
This ends the section on the Urinary System. If you have any questions, please ask your instructor for further clarification or refer to your textbook. You should repeat this section as many times as you feel is necessary to feel comfortable with the meaning and pronunciation of the words presented.