Structure of the Urinary System (Edexcel IGCSE Biology)

• Two key functions of the urinary system are:
  • To filter waste products from the blood and expel it from the body as urine
  • To control the water levels of the body (osmoregulation)
• The urinary system consists of two kidneys (found at the back of the abdomen) joined to the bladder by two tubes called the ureters
• Another tube, the urethra, carries urine from the bladder to outside the body
• Each kidney is also connected to:
  • The renal artery which comes from the aorta and delivers oxygenated blood to the kidney
  • The renal vein which delivers the deoxygenated blood from the kidney to the vena cava

The urinary system in humans

Main structures of the urinary system table