Urethra facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Urethra |
|
|---|---|
| Latin | urethra vagina; feminina (female); urethra masculina (male) |
| Artery | Inferior vesical artery Middle rectal artery Internal pudendal artery |
| Vein | Inferior vesical vein Middle rectal vein Internal pudendal vein |
| Nerve | Pudendal nerve Pelvic splanchnic nerves Inferior hypogastric plexus |
| Lymph | Internal iliac lymph nodes Deep inguinal lymph nodes |
| Precursor | Urogenital sinus |
The urethra is a tube that helps your body get rid of urine (pee). It connects your bladder (where pee is stored) to the outside of your body. Both boys and girls have a urethra.
Special muscles called sphincters control the flow of urine. The external sphincter is a muscle you can control. It lets you decide when to pee. The internal sphincter works automatically. You don't have to think about it. Both boys and girls have these important muscles.
Contents
What is the Urethra?
The urethra is a tube made of strong, flexible tissue and muscle. It links your bladder to the outside opening where urine leaves your body.
How the Urethra is Different in Boys and Girls
The length of the urethra is different in boys and girls. In boys, the urethra goes through the penis. This makes it longer than the urethra in girls.
History of the Urethra
The word "urethra" comes from an Ancient Greek word. It means something related to urination. People have known about this body part for a very long time.
Early Discoveries and Names
One of the first people to describe the urethra was Hippocrates. He was a famous doctor from Ancient Greece. But back then, the urethra was sometimes called "ureter." For over a thousand years, people often mixed up the names "ureter" and "urethra."
It wasn't until the 1550s that doctors started using the names correctly. Scientists like Bartolomeo Eustacchio and Jacques Dubois made sure everyone knew which tube was which. Later, in the 1800s and 1900s, new words were made. These words, like urethritis (a problem with the urethra) and urethrography (a way to take pictures of it), helped doctors talk about the urethra more clearly.
Understanding the Urinary System
People have known about kidney stones for a very long time. These are small, hard pieces that can form in the kidneys. The urinary system, which includes the urethra, helps drain urine from the kidneys. A famous doctor named Galen described this system in the second century AD. Doctors even performed surgery to remove kidney stones from the urethra as early as the first century AD. Aulus Cornelius Celsus wrote about these early operations.
See also
In Spanish: Uretra para niños
