SECTION 13

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 (tubes from the kidneys to the bladder)

one (both ureters drain into this bladder)

one (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 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 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 , 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

/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 or 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 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

(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

cyst/o means bladder

cele means hernia or swelling cystocele

(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 (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

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

(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 (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

(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

(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

(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

(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.