Article
Article
- Biology & Biomedicine
- Anatomy
- Urinary bladder
Urinary bladder
Article By:
Curtin, Charles B. Department of Biology, Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.
Last reviewed:May 2021
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1036/1097-8542.723800
Show previous versions
- Urinary bladder, published June 2014:Download PDF Get Adobe Acrobat Reader
- Tubal bladder
- Cloacal bladder
- Allantoic bladder
- Related Primary Literature
- Additional Reading
A distensible, muscular sac that serves as a reservoir for urine in most vertebrates. The urinary bladder (Fig. 1) is a hollow, round organ that collects urine (from the kidneys) before it is eliminated from the body via the process of urination. The structure is part of the urinary system of the majority of vertebrates. However, snakes, crocodilians, birds (with the exception of the ostrich), most lizards, and a few fish lack a urinary bladder. In these organisms, urine empties directly into the cloaca. In general, the development of the urinary system is intimately associated with the development of the reproductive system, and the combined structures composing the urinary and genital (reproductive) organs of vertebrates are termed the urogenital or genitourinary system. Three general types of urinary bladders are recognized among the vertebrates: tubal, cloacal, and allantoic. See also: Kidney; Reproductive system; Urinary system; Urinary tract disorders; Urine; Urogenital system; Vertebrata
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