|
The bladder is like an inflatable balloon. Sometimes it is large and full, sometimes it is small and empty. It all depends on whether or not we have recently urinated.
|
|
 |
|
1. Kidneys 2. Ureter
3. Urine bladder 4. Urethra
|
|
Urine is a kind of waste that the blood has left behind in the kidneys on its journey through the body. This is where the waste is mixed with liquid and becomes urine. The kidneys send the urine in small drops through the ureters down to the bladder.
When the bladder contains 2-4 decilitres of urine, the bladder signals the brain that it's time to go to the toilet. The bladder is starting to fill up and needs to be emptied. You either urinate the normal way, or empty your bladder using a catheter.
There are muscles in the walls surrounding the bladder. It is these muscles that are extended as the bladder fills with urine. These muscles then contract when you go to the toilet and empty your bladder.
At the bottom, below the bladder, a sphincter muscle is located where the urine is released. This muscle acts like a small squeezer and prevents urine from leaking out between trips to the toilet.
|
|