Ureter facts for kids

The ureter is a tube in your body that carries urine from your kidney to your bladder. Think of it like a special pipeline for liquid waste!

What is the Ureter?

Your body has two ureters, one for each kidney. They are about 25 to 30 centimeters long, which is roughly the length of a ruler. Each ureter is quite narrow, only about 3 millimeters wide, which is about the size of a small pea.

The ureter starts at a funnel-shaped part of your kidney called the renal pelvis. From there, it travels downwards through your belly area. Its main job is to make sure urine gets from your kidneys, where it's made, all the way to your bladder, where it's stored until you go to the bathroom.

How Does the Ureter Work?

The walls of the ureter have special muscles. These muscles gently squeeze and relax in waves, pushing the urine along. This movement is called peristalsis. It's similar to how food moves through your digestive system. This way, urine keeps moving towards your bladder, even if you're lying down or upside down!

At the end of each ureter, where it connects to the bladder, there's a special valve. This valve helps prevent urine from flowing back up into the kidneys. This is important because if urine goes back up, it can cause problems like infections.

Why is the Ureter Important?

The ureter is a key part of your urinary system. This system helps your body get rid of waste products and extra water. If the ureters don't work correctly, urine can build up in the kidneys, which can be very harmful. So, these small tubes play a big role in keeping you healthy!

Images for kids

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  A close-up view of the ureter under a microscope. You can see the inner lining (purple cells) and the strong muscle layers around it.

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  This image shows how the ureter starts to form in a very young embryo (a baby developing inside the mother). The orange tube is the ureter, connecting to the early bladder.