The urinary bladder is a delicate organ of our body, which serves the function of storing urine or waste fluids that come out of the Kidneys. It is a vital organ that can cause trouble, like a stone in the urinary bladder, when not taken proper care of. Situated at the pelvis, near the pubic bone, it is a sac-like structure that facilitates the flow of the urine through expansion and contraction.
We shall focus on the structure of the urinary bladder through a urinary bladder diagram and also try to understand its various parts.
What is the Urinary Bladder?
The urinary bladder is a part of the urinary system that is concerned with the removal of waste products from the body through the medium of urine and the facilitation of blood purification. It is somewhat triangular and has a hollow within itself to allow urine storage. Its features are:
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Urinary bladder capacity: It has an average capacity of 500 ml, which can vary from individual to individual.
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Contraction and expansion: The muscles in the bladder contract and expand according to the need to facilitate retention or excretion.
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Storage time: Generally, a person can hold urine for 5 hours. With more practice, it can extend to 7- 8 hours. However, it is not advisable to do so.
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Location: It is located in the lower abdomen, near the pubic bone.
Parts and Structure of Urinary Bladder
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The urinary bladder has the following parts and structures.
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The transitional epithelium layer: This is the initial sheath that surrounds the inside of the bladder. This lining tends to expand when the bladder is filled with urine.
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Lamina Propia: Lamina propia has nerve endings, adipocytes, fibrocytes, and interstitial cells. They jointly create a matrix.
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Muscularis propia layer: It is elastic like a muscle which is also known as a detrusor. It is thick and smooth and is situated beside the Lamina Propia.
Other parts include the perivesical tissue that is composed of fat and blood vessels. It acts as a segregation between the bladder and kidneys. The tubes of the ureter are attached to the bladder directly.
Moreover, the bladder consists of sphincters of two types which act as valves to control the urine flow. The detrusor muscles act to contract them during important situations like continence. If you want to have a clearer view of the structure of the urinary bladder, take a look at the urinary bladder diagram.
Stone in Urinary Bladder
Sometimes, minerals of the urine can start to form a stone inside the bladder. Under inadequate care, they crystallize inside and disrupt the regular flow of urine, thereby causing extreme pain. A major symptom is the inability to urinate. Some other symptoms of having a stone in the urinary bladder are:
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Severe to moderate pain in the lower abdomen,
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Painful urination
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Blood in urine
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Extreme discomfort during urination
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Peculiar coloured urine that is generally dark.
Smaller stones can be treated with medicines. However, when the stones grow out of control, an operation is the only way out. These stones can be prevented by consuming adequate and clean water every day. Additionally, one should not control urine for extreme durations for long.