• Bladder: A hollow organ that stores urine.
• Bowman’s capsule: A cup-shaped structure around the glomerulus that collects the filtered substances; part of the nephron.
• Dialysis: A medical procedure in which blood is filtered with the help of a machine.
• Excretion:The process of removing wastes and excess water from the body.
• Filtration: The process of filtering substances from blood in the glomerulus.
• Glomerulus: Part of the nephron; a cluster of arteries that filters substances out of the blood.
• Homeostasis: The ability to maintain a stable internal environment despite external changes.
• Kidney: Organ that filters the blood and forms urine.
• Kidney stones: Crystals of dissolved minerals that form in urine inside the kidneys.
• Nephrons: The structural and functional units of the kidneys; includes the glomerulus, Bowman’s capsule, and renal tubule.
• Reabsorption: The return of needed substances in the filtrate back to the bloodstream.
• Renal tubule: A long, narrow tube surrounded by capillaries that reabsorbs many of the filtered substances and secretes other substances; part of the nephron.
• Urea: The main waste nitrogen in the urine of mammals. It is produced in the metabolism of proteins.
• Ureter: Tube-shaped structure that brings urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
• Urethra: A muscular tube that carries urine out of the body.
• Urinary system: The organ system that makes, stores, and gets rid of urine.
• Urine: The liquid waste product of the body that is excreted by the urinary system.