Physiology, Bladder

Excerpt

The bladder forms an integral part of the genitourinary system. Urine, created by the kidneys, is drained into the bladder by the bilateral ureters. The bladder then acts as the storage site for this waste product until higher-order centers within the central nervous system initiate the micturition (i.e., urination) process, which permits the expulsion of urine into the urethra, located on the inferior aspect of the bladder. The physiology involved in bladder function and micturition is exceedingly complex, integrating the autonomic nervous system, the central nervous system, the somatic nervous system, and neurohormonal modulation. This complex physiologic interplay is, in turn, a site of action for several pharmaceutical agents that treat common bladder pathologies.