Okuzeka
Anatomy & Physiology vocabulary · Digestive and Urinary Systems

Bladder

Meaning in anatomy & physiology, with examples

/ˈblædər/nounCommon term

In anatomy & physiology, bladder means: The hollow, muscular organ in the pelvis that stores urine coming from the kidneys until it is passed out of the body through the urethra.

In Turkish: mesane, idrar kesesi

How it is used

Its full name is urinary bladder. Urine reaches it through the two ureters, and its wall contains the detrusor muscle. The word also appears in gallbladder, which stores bile, so context matters. Technical forms are vesical and cyst- (cystitis).

Example sentences

  1. An adult bladder can usually hold about 400 to 600 milliliters of urine.

  2. On ultrasound, a full bladder appears as a dark area in the pelvis.

Common collocations

  • urinary bladder
  • full bladder
  • empty the bladder
  • bladder wall
  • gallbladder
  • kidneyOne of the two bean-shaped organs at the back of the abdomen that filter the blood, remove waste and extra water as urine, and help to control blood pressure and salt balance.
  • pelvisThe basin-shaped ring of bones at the base of the spine, formed by the two hip bones, the sacrum and the coccyx. It supports the trunk and protects the bladder, rectum and reproductive organs.
  • nephro-A word part from Greek meaning 'kidney'. It appears in nephron (the filtering unit of the kidney), nephrology (the study of kidney disease) and nephrectomy (removal of a kidney).
  • homeostasisThe body's ability to keep its internal conditions, such as temperature, blood sugar and water balance, fairly stable even when the outside environment changes.

More terms: Digestive and Urinary Systems

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.