Urine is an aqueous solution of piss and metabolites excreted by mammals, birds, reptiles, fish and amphibians. Mammals ( class Mammalia) are a class of Vertebrate Animals characterized by the presence of Sweat glands, including sweat glands Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Reptiles, or members of the class Reptilia are air-breathing Cold-blooded Vertebrates that have skin covered in scales as opposed to hair or feathers Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Prehistoric amphibian Amphibians (class Amphibia such as Frogs Toads Salamanders Newts Gymnophiona, Sirens and Although urine is excreted as a paste (uric acid) by most birds, it is commonly excreted as a fluid varying in color from clear, when dilute, to a dark amber, when concentrated. Urine is produced by the kidneys, and plays a vital role in maintaining homeostasis by removing excess water, electrolytes such as sodium, chloride, potassium, and calcium ions, urea and other metabolites from the blood. The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles Homeostasis (from Greek: ὅμος hómos, "equal" and ιστημι istēmi, "to stand" lit Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 The chloride Ion is formed when the element Chlorine picks up one Electron to form an Anion (negatively-charged ion Cl&minus Potassium (pəˈtæsiəm is a Chemical element. It has the symbol K (kalium from qalīy Atomic number 19 and Atomic mass 39 Calcium (ˈkælsiəm is the Chemical element with the symbol Ca and Atomic number 20 Urea is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula ( N[[hydrogen H]]22 C[[oxygen O]] Urine excreted by healthy kidneys is sterile. The production of urine is called diuresis. Diuresis is the increased production of Urine by the Kidney. Types and causes The kidney normally produces up to 180 L of "pro-urine"
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Composition
Water
The main constituent of urine is water. All vertebrates must carefully maintain the volume of fluid in their extracellular space in order to prevent fluid overload or dehydration. In Cell biology, Molecular biology and related fields the word extracellular (or sometimes extracellular space) means "outside the cell Water intoxication (also known as hyperhydration or water poisoning) is a potentially fatal disturbance in Brain functions that results when the Dehydration ( hypohydration) is the removal of Water ( hydro in ancient Greek) from an object Some water is inevitably lost during solute excretion, and represents an unavoidable fluid loss. However, the majority of water excreted in the urine is lost to prevent fluid overload. Different animals have different renal physiologies depending on their need to retain water. Freshwater fish, for example, produce very large amounts of very dilute urine, whereas desert-dwelling animals such as the meerkat have evolved very effective renal systems, allowing them to conserve water by producing small amounts of extremely concentrated urine. Freshwater is a word that refers to bodies of water such as Ponds lakes rivers and streams containing low concentrations of dissolved Salts and other Total dissolved The meerkat or suricate Suricata suricatta is a small Mammal and a member of the Mongoose family By comparison, even the most concentrated human urine is relatively dilute. The excretion of water is called aquaresis.
Electrolytes
Along with volume regulation, urine regulates the osmolarity of an animal's internal space. Osmolarity is a measure of the osmoles of solute per Liter of solution while the osmolality is a measure of the osmoles of Solute per Kilogram The concentration of ions in the blood and extra-cellular fluid must stay within a fairly tight range to maintain health and avoid dehydration. Although some ions are lost to normal bodily function (such as sweating), most animals have a large surplus of ions in their diets and must excrete them. Most humans, for example, ingest many more sodium and chloride ions than they need in the form of [salt] - it is secretion of these surplus ions which makes urine taste salty. Sodium (ˈsoʊdiəm is an element which has the symbol Na( Latin natrium, from Arabic natrun) atomic number 11 atomic mass 22 The chloride Ion is formed when the element Chlorine picks up one Electron to form an Anion (negatively-charged ion Cl&minus
Nitrogen
Urine production and excretion is a vertebrate's primary method for removal of nitrogen. Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 This is a waste product, produced in the form of ammonia by the liver. Excess nitrogen is found in the diet, and released into the blood during the deamination of amino acids in protein metabolism. Deamination is the removal of an Amine group from a Molecule. In Chemistry, an amino acid is a Molecule containing both Amine and Carboxyl Functional groups In Biochemistry, this In fish, where water conservation is not an issue, ammonia is excreted in dilute urine. However, at higher concentrations it is toxic, and so in mammals' urine, this mainly is in the form of urea, produced from ammonia in the liver. Urea is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula ( N[[hydrogen H]]22 C[[oxygen O]] The liver is a vital organ in the human body and is present in Vertebrates and some other animals Birds generally excrete uric acid as a paste, to further conserve water. Uric acid (or urate) is an Organic compound of Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen and Hydrogen with the formula C5H4N4O3
Acid
The kidneys play a vital role in regulating body pH, preventing acidosis or alkalosis by excreting excess hydrogen ions or bicarbonate ions as required. Acidosis is an increased Acidity (ie an increased Hydrogen ion Concentration) Alkalosis refers to a condition reducing Hydrogen ion concentration of arterial Blood plasma ( alkalemia) In Chemistry, hydronium is the obsolete name for the Cation H 3 O + derived from Protonation of Water When it leaves the body, urine is usually around pH 6, though it may be as low as 4. pH is the measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a Solution. 5 or as high as 8. 2. As urea—the compound which accounts for 75–90% of the nitrogen in urine—begins to decay, hydroxide ions form, raising the pH as high as 9–9. Urea is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula ( N[[hydrogen H]]22 C[[oxygen O]] Nitrogen (ˈnaɪtɹəʤɪn is a Chemical element that has the symbol N and Atomic number 7 and Atomic weight 14 In Chemistry, hydroxide is the most common name for the diatomic Anion OH− consisting of Oxygen and Hydrogen 3.
The decay of urea into carbon dioxide is catalyzed by urease:
Metabolites
Animals ingest a wide variety of compounds daily. Urease ( is an Enzyme that catalyzes the Hydrolysis of Urea into Carbon dioxide and Ammonia. Urea is an Organic compound with the Chemical formula ( N[[hydrogen H]]22 C[[oxygen O]] Carbon dioxide ( Chemical formula:) is a Chemical compound composed of two Oxygen Atoms covalently bonded to a single Ammonia is a compound with the formula N[[hydrogen H3]] It is normally encountered as a Gas with a characteristic pungent Odor Not least are humans, who consume an incredible array of natural and artificial chemicals in the form of food, drink and pharmaceutical products. With the exception of vitamins, minerals and other micro-nutrients such as essential fatty acids, none of these are needed or desirable within the body. A vitamin is an Organic compound required as a Nutrient in tiny amounts by an Organism. A mineral is a naturally occurring substance formed through geological processes that has a characteristic chemical composition a highly ordered atomic structure and specific Essential fatty acids, or EFAs are Fatty acids that cannot be constructed within an organism from other components (generally all references are to humans by any known chemical All are either metabolised by the liver, excreted in bile or filtered from the blood by the kidneys, and excreted in urine.
Dissolved heavy metals
Studies of urine in organic cattle farms in Sweden in 1999 and 2002 yielded the following concentrations of heavy metals (all in μg/kg wet weight):[1]
Glucose
Glucose is constantly lost from the blood into the filtrate at the kidneys - however, active reuptake in the proximal tubule usually prevents any being excreted. Copper (ˈkɒpɚ is a Chemical element with the symbol Cu (cuprum and Atomic number 29 Zinc (ˈzɪŋk from Zink is a Metallic Chemical element with the symbol Zn and Atomic number 30 Chromium (ˈkroʊmiəm is a Chemical element which has the symbol Cr and Atomic number 24 Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Cadmium (ˈkædmiəm is a Chemical element with the symbol Cd and Atomic number 48 The proximal tubule is the portion of the duct system of the Nephron leading from Bowman's capsule to the Loop of Henle. This is desirable, as glucose is a valuable source of energy, not a waste product. However, in hyperglycaemia - most commonly arising from diabetes mellitus in humans - the tubular limit on glucose reabsorbtion may be breached, in which case some glucose will be lost in the urine. Hyperglycemia, hyperglycaemia, or high blood sugar is a condition in which an excessive amount of Glucose circulates in the Blood plasma Diabetes mellitus (ˌdaɪəˈbiːtiːz or /ˌdaɪəˈbiːtəs/ /məˈlaɪtəs/ or /ˈmɛlətəs/ often referred to simply as diabetes ( Ancient Greek: grc
Bacteria
Urine excreted by healthy kidneys is sterile. When it leaves the body, however, the urine can pick up bacteria from the surrounding skin, which would contaminate it.
Characteristics
Color
Urine is normally yellow because it contains urobilin. Urobilin is a yellow linear tetrapyrrole resulting from the breakdown of Haem, a cyclic tetrapyrrole It can also be a clear color if an excessive amount of water is consumed.
Uses
Diagnostic tests
Testing urine for its constituents is a cost-effective and non-invasive means of assessing the internal situation of an animal. A urinalysis (or "UA" is an array of tests performed on Urine and one of the most common methods of Medical Diagnosis. It is commonly used to test for pregnancy, by measuring levels of hormones excreted. Urinalysis can also be used to test for the metabolites of illegal drugs, if substance abuse is suspected. It is also an invaluable first-line investigation in clinical medicine, where pH, glucose, protein, white blood cell, bacteria and blood content can all be tested to aid in making a diagnosis.
Fertilizer
Urine has been and is used extensively as fertilizer. Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Its high nitrogen content allows increased amino acid synthesis by plants. During WWII, Japanese farmers used urine collected in so-called "honeypots" as cheap fertilizer for their crops.
Animal repellent
Taking advantage of the scents of male animals' urine, some companies sell animal urine, usually coyote or fox, to cities and other organizations to repel those animals by essentially "marking their territory". The scents of carnivore urine (bobcat, mountain lion, and wolf, in addition to coyote and fox) are also sold to the public in pelletized form to repel garden browsing by herbivores such as squirrels and rabbits, as well as deterring domestic or feral cats from marking territory, or catching birds, in gardens. The Bobcat ( Lynx rufus) is a North American Mammal of the cat family Felidae. The cougar ( Puma concolor) also puma, mountain lion, or panther, depending on region is a Mammal of the Felidae family The grey wolf or gray wolf ( Canis lupus) also known as the timber wolf or simply wolf, is a Mammal of the order Carnivora A garden is a planned space usually outdoors set aside for the display cultivation and enjoyment of Plants and other forms of Nature. Herbivory is a form of Predation in which an Organism, known as a herbivore, consumes principally Autotrophs ref name=Campbell>Campbell A squirrel is one of the many small or medium-sized Rodents in the family Sciuridae. Rabbits are small Mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. When the pellets are sprinkled on a target area, the intruding animal will instinctively recognize the territorial urinary scent of its predators and avoid the area.
Munitions
In historical times, urine was collected and used in the manufacture of gunpowder. Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes Stale urine was filtered through a barrel full of straw and allowed to continue to sour for a year or more. After this period of time, water was used to wash the resulting chemical salts from the straw. A salt, in Chemistry, is defined as the product formed from the neutralisation reaction of Acids and bases. This slurry was filtered through wood ashes and allowed to dry in the sun. Saltpeter crystals were then collected and added to sulfur and charcoal to create black powder. Potassium nitrate is a Chemical compound with the Chemical formula K[[Nitrogen N]] O 3 Sulfur or sulphur (ˈsʌlfɚ see spelling below) is the Chemical element that has the Atomic number 16 Charcoal' is the blackish residue consisting of impure Carbon obtained by removing water and other volatile constituents from Animal and Vegetation Gunpowder is a an explosive mixture of Sulfur, Charcoal and Potassium nitrate (also known as saltpetre/saltpeter that burns rapidly producing volumes [1][2]
Textiles
Urine has often been used as a mordant to help prepare textiles, especially wool, for dyeing. A mordant is a substance used to set Dyes on fabrics by forming an insoluble compound with the dye Urine was used for dyes such as indigo where the urea in the urine reacted with the insoluble dye to form a soluble solution. Indigo is the Color on the Electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in Wavelength, placing it between Blue and violet
Hormone replacement therapy
Steroid hormones extracted from the urine of pregnant mares are used in a drug sold under the trade name Premarin (a neologism derived from 'pregnant mare urine'). Premarin is the commercial name for compound drug consisting primarily of conjugated Estrogens Isolated from mare's Urine ( PRE gnant A neologism (from Greek neo = "new" + logos = "word" is a word that although devised relatively recently in a specific time period has been The drug, manufactured and sold by Wyeth, is an estrogen replacement therapy used in the treatment of menopause symptoms. Wyeth, formerly known as American Home Products (AHP is one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world Menopause is the permanent shutting down of the female Reproductive system, a considerable length of time before the end of the lifespan
References
See also
The kidneys are complicated organs that have numerous biological roles Renal physiology is the study of the Physiology of the Kidneys Functions of the kidney The functions of the kidney can be divided into two groups Diuresis is the increased production of Urine by the Kidney. Types and causes The kidney normally produces up to 180 L of "pro-urine" A diuretic is any Drug that elevates the rate of urination ( Diuresis)
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