Webster's New World Medical Dictionary

urinary bladder
See 
bladder.
urinary calculus
A stone in the urinary tract. A
urinary calculus may be a kidney stone or it may be
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lower down in the ureter, bladder, or urethra. See
also 
kidney stones.
urinary incontinence
The unintentional loss of
urine due to loss of voluntary control over the uri-
nary sphincters. One cause of urinary incontinence
is overactive bladder, in which a sudden involuntary
contraction of the muscular wall of the bladder
results in urinary urgency, an immediate unstop-
pable need to urinate. See also 
bedwetting; enure-
sis; urethral sphincter.
urinary sphincter
See 
urethral sphincter.
urinary tract
The organs of the body that pro-
duce, store, and discharge urine. These organs
include the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra.
urinary tract infection
An infection of the kid-
ney, ureter, bladder, or urethra. Abbreviated UTI. Not
everyone with a UTI has symptoms, but common
symptoms include a frequent urge to urinate and
pain or burning when urinating. More females than
males have UTIs. Underlying conditions that physi-
cally obstruct and impair the normal urinary flow,
such as the formation of cysts within the urinary
tract, can lead to complicated UTIs. Treatment usu-
ally involves increased fluid intake and use of antibi-
otics. In cases where physical obstruction is present,
special medications or surgery may be necessary.
urine
Liquid waste produced by the kidneys.
Urine is a clear, transparent fluid that normally has
an amber color. The average amount of urine
excreted in 24 hours is between 5 to 8 cups or 40
and 60 ounces. Chemically, urine is mainly a watery
solution of salt and substances called urea and uric
acid. Normally, it contains about 960 parts water to
40 parts solid matter. Abnormally, it may contain
sugar (in diabetes), albumin (a protein, as in some
forms of kidney disease), bile pigments (as in jaun-
dice), or abnormal quantities of one or another of
its normal components.