5.1 – Introduction to the Urinary System

Learning Objectives

  • Identify the anatomy and describe the main functions of the urinary system
  • Analyze, translate, and define medical terms and common abbreviations of the urinary system
  • Practice the spelling and pronunciation of urinary system medical terminology
  • Identify the medical specialties associated with the urinary system and explore common diseases, disorders, diagnostic tests and procedures

Urinary System Word Parts

Click on prefixes, combining forms, and suffixes to reveal a list of word parts to memorize for the urinary system.

Urinary System Word Parts

Prefix

  • a- (absence of, without)
  • an– (absence of, without)
  • dia- (through, complete)
  • dys– (painful, abnormal, difficult, laboured)
  • poly– (many, much)
Combining Forms
  • albumin/o (albumin)
  • azot/o (urea, nitrogen)
  • blast/o (developing cell, germ cell)
  • cyst/o (bladder, sac)
  • glomerul/o (glomerulus)
  • glyc/o (sugar)
  • glycos/o (sugar)
  • hydr/o (water)
  • lith/o (stone, calculus)
  • meat/o (meatus)
  • nephr/o (kidney)
  • noct/i (night)
  • olig/o (few, scanty)
  • pyel/o (renal pelvis)
  • ren/o (kidney)
  • ureter/o (ureter)
  • urethr/o (urethra)
  • urin/o (urine, urinary tract)
  • ur/o (urine, urinary tract)
  • vesic/o (bladder, sac)
Suffix 
  • –al (pertaining to)
  • –ary (pertaining to)
  • –cele (hernia, protrusion)
  • –emia (in the blood)
  • –gram (the record, radiographic image)
  • –graph (instrument used to record)
  • –graphy (process of recording, radiographic imaging)
  • –iasis (condition)
  • –esis (condition)
  • –itis (inflammation)
  • –lith (stone)
  • –lysis (loosening, dissolution, separating)
  • –megaly (enlarged, enlargement)
  • –oma (tumour, swelling)
  • –osis (abnormal condition)
  • –ptosis (drooping, sagging, prolapse)
  • –rrhaphy (suturing, repairing)
  • –scope (instrument used for visual examination)
  • –scopic (pertaining to visual examination)
  • –scopy (visual examination)
  • –stomy (creation of an artificial opening)
  • –tomy (cut into, incision)
  • –tripsy (surgical crushing)
  • –uria (urine, urination)

Activity source: Urinary System Word Parts by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation, licensed under CC BY 4.0./ Text version added.

Introduction to the Urinary System

The urinary system has roles you may be well aware of. Cleansing the blood and ridding the body of wastes probably come to mind. However, there are additional, equally important functions, played by the system. For example, regulation of pH, a function shared with the lungs and the buffers in the blood. Additionally, the regulation of blood pressure is a role shared with the heart and blood vessels. What about regulating the concentration of solutes in the blood? Did you know that the kidney is important in determining the concentration of red blood cells? Eighty-five percent of the erythropoietin (EPO) produced to stimulate red blood cell production is produced in the kidneys. The kidneys also perform the final synthesis step of vitamin D production, converting calcidiol to calcitriol, the active form of vitamin D. If the kidneys fail, these functions are compromised or lost altogether, with devastating effects on homeostasis.

Watch Urinary System, Part 1: Crash Course Anatomy & Physiology #38 (10 min) on YouTube

Media 5.1: CrashCourse. (2015, October 12). Urinary system, part 1: Crash Course anatomy & physiology #38 [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/l128tW1H5a8

Urinary System Medical Terms

Urinary System Medical Terms
  1. albuminuria
    • albumin/uria
    • albumin in the urine
  2. azotemia
    • azot/emia
    • urea in the blood
  3. cystectomy
    • cyst/ectomy
    • excision of the bladder
  4. cystolithotomy
    • cyst/o/lith/o/tomy
    • incision into the bladder to remove stone(s)
  5. cystorrhaphy
    • cyst/o/rrhaphy
    • suturing the bladder
  6. cystostomy
    • cyst/o/stomy
    • creation of an artificial opening into the bladder
  7. cystotomy
    • cyst/o/tomy
    • incision into the bladder
  8. cystogram
    • cyst/o/gram
    • radiographic image of the bladder
  9. cystography
    • cyst/o/graphy
    • radiographic imaging of the bladder
  10. cystoscope
    • cyst/o/scope
    • instrument used for visual examination of the bladder
  11. cystoscopy
    • cyst/o/scopy
    • visual examination of the bladder
  12. cystitis
    • cyst/itis
    • inflammation of the bladder
  13. cystocele
    • cyst/o/cele
    • protrusion of the bladder
  14. cystolith
    • cyst/o/lith
    • stone(s) in the bladder
  15. glomerulonephritis
    • glomerul/o/nephr/itis
    • inflammation of the gomeruli of the kidney
  16. glycosuria
    • glycos/uria
    • sugar (glucose) in the urine
  17. hydronephrosis
    • hydro/nephr/osis
    • abnormal condition of water in the kidney
  18. lithotripsy
    • lith/o/tripsy
    • surgical crushing of stone(s)
  19. meatotomy
    • meat/o/tomy
    • incision into the meatus
  20. meatal
    • meat/al
    • pertaining to the meatus
  21. nephritis
    • nephr/itis
    • inflammation of the kidney
  22. nephrolithiasis
    • nephr/o/lith/iasis
    • condition of stone(s) in the kidney
  23. nephroma
    • nephr/oma
    • tumour of kidney
  24. nephromegaly
    • nephr/o/megaly
    • enlarged kidney
  25. nephroptosis
    • nephr/o/ptosis
    • drooping kidney
  26. nephrectomy
    • nephr/ectomy
    • excision of the kidney
  27. nephrolitotomy
    • nephr/o/lith/o/tomy
    • incision into the kidney to remove stone(s)
  28. nephrolithotripsy
    • nephr/o/lith/o/tripsy
    • surgical crushing of stone(s) in the kidney
  29. nephrolysis
    • nephr/o/lysis
    • separating the kidney (from body structures)
  30. nephropexy
    • nephr/o/pexy
    • surgical fixation of the kidney
  31. nephrostomy
    • nephr/o/stomy
    • creation of an artificial opening into the kidney
  32. nephrography
    • nephr/o/graphy
    • radiographic imaging of the kidney
  33. nephroscopy
    • nephr/o/scopy
    • process of viewing the kidney
  34. nephrosonography
    • nephr/o/son/o/graphy
    • process of recording the kidney using sound
  35. nephrologist
    • nephr/o/logist
    • specialist who studies and treats disease and disorders of the kidney
  36. nephrology
    • nephr/o/logy
    • study of the kidney
  37. nocturia
    • noct/uria
    • night urination
  38. oliguria
    • olig/uria
    • scanty urine (output)
  39. pyelitis
    • pyel/itis
    • inflammation of the renal pelvis
  40. pyelonephritis
    • pyel/o/nephr/itis
    • inflammation of the renal pelvis and the kidney
  41. pyelolithotomy
    • pyel/o/lith/o/tomy
    • incision into the renal pelvis
  42. pyeloplasty
    • pyel/o/plasty
    • surgical repair of the renal pelvis
  43. renogram
    • ren/o/gram
    • radiogrphaic record of the kidney
  44. ureteritis
    • ureter/itis
    • inflammation of the ureter
  45. ureterectomy
    • ureter/ectomy
    • excision of the ureter
  46. ureterostomy
    • ureter/o/stomy
    • creation of an artificial opening into the ureter
  47. ureterocele
    • ureter/o/cele
    • protrusion of a ureter
  48. ureterolithiasis
    • ureter/o/lith/iasis
    • condition of stone(s) in the ureter
  49. ureterostenosis
    • ureter/o/stenosis
    • narrowing of the ureter
  50. ureteroscopy
    • ureter/o/scopy
    • visual examination of the ureter(s)
  51. urethrocystitis
    • urethr/o/cyst/itis
    • inflammation of the urethra and the bladder
  52. anuria
    • an/uria
    • absence of urine
  53. diuresis
    • di/ur/esis
    • condition of urine passing through
      (increased excretion of urine)
  54. dysuria
    • dys/uria
    • difficult or painful urine
  55. urinary
    • urin/ary
    • pertaining to urine
  56. retrograde urogram
    • retrograde ur/o/gram
    • radiographic image of the urinary tract
  57. ureteroscopy
    • ureter/o/scopy
    • visual examination of the ureter(s)
  58. urogram
    • ur/o/gram
    • radiographic image of the urinary tract
  59. hematuria
    • hemat/uria
    • blood in the urine
  60. polyuria
    • poly/uria
    • excessive urine
  61. pyuria
    • py/uria
    • pus in the urine
  62. urinary
    • urin/ary
    • pertaining to urine
  63. urologist
    • ur/o/logist
    • physician who studies and treats diseases of the urinary tract
  64. urology
    • ur/o/logy
    • study of the urinary tract
  65. vesicotomy
    • vesic/o/tomy
    • inciscion into the bladder

Activity Source: Urinary System Medical Terms by Kimberlee Carter, from Building a Medical Terminology Foundation, licensed under CC BY 4.0./ Text version added.

 

Attribution

Except where otherwise noted, this chapter is adapted from “Urinary System” in Building a Medical Terminology Foundation by Kimberlee Carter and Marie Rutherford, licensed under CC BY 4.0. / A derivative of Betts et al., which can be accessed for free from Anatomy and Physiology (OpenStax). Adaptations: dividing Urinary System chapter content into sub-chapters.

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Building a Medical Terminology Foundation 2e Copyright © 2024 by Kimberlee Carter; Marie Rutherford; and Connie Stevens is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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