ureter

ureter

ureter , thick-walled tube that conveys urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder. It is approximately 10 in. (25.4 cm) long, with the upper half located in the abdomen and the lower half in the pelvic region. Urine is transported down this tube under the impetus of gravity assisted by contractions of the smooth muscles that line the ureteral walls. A blocked ureter can result from congenital abnormality, a tumor, or the formation of kidney stones. Blockage may require surgery to prevent loss of urinary function and eventual urea poisoning. See urinary system .

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"ureter." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2011. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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ureter

ureter The tube of smooth muscle which carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. The ureter starts as the outlet from the ‘pelvis’ in the centre of the kidney — the receptacle for the urine leaving thousands of microscopic tubules. The two ureters enter the upper part of the bladder symmetrically on the two sides. Between them, they deliver urine on average at a rate of about 1 ml min. The ureters can be a source of pain (colic) if kidney stones fragment and pass down them.

Stuart Judge


See kidneys; urogenital system.
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COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ureter." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ureter." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-ureter.html

COLIN BLAKEMORE and SHELIA JENNETT. "ureter." The Oxford Companion to the Body. 2001. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O128-ureter.html

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ureter

u·re·ter / ˈyoŏritər; yoŏˈrētər/ • n. Anat. & Zool. the duct by which urine passes from the kidney to the bladder or cloaca. DERIVATIVES: u·re·ter·al / yoŏˈrētərəl/ adj.u·re·ter·ic / ˌyoŏriˈterik/ adj.

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"ureter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ureter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ureter.html

"ureter." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-ureter.html

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ureter

ureter (anat.) urinary duct. XVI. — F. uretère or Gr. ourētḗr, f. oureîn make water, f. oûron urine.
So urethra tube which discharges urine from the bladder. XVII. — late L. ūrēthra — Gr. ourḗthrā.

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T. F. HOAD. "ureter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

T. F. HOAD. "ureter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ureter.html

T. F. HOAD. "ureter." The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology. 1996. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O27-ureter.html

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ureter

ureter (yoor-ee-ter) n. either of a pair of tubes, 25–30 cm long, that conduct urine from the pelvis of kidneys to the bladder.
ureteral, ureteric (yoor-i-te-rik) adj.

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"ureter." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ureter." A Dictionary of Nursing. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O62-ureter.html

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ureter

ureter In vertebrates, the long, narrow duct that connects the kidney to the urinary bladder. It transports urine from the kidney to the bladder.

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"ureter." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ureter." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-ureter.html

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ureter

ureter The duct in vertebrates that conveys urine from the kidney to the bladder.

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"ureter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"ureter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-ureter.html

"ureter." A Dictionary of Biology. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O6-ureter.html

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ureter

ureter The urinary duct that drains from the kidney to the bladder.

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MICHAEL ALLABY. "ureter." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

MICHAEL ALLABY. "ureter." A Dictionary of Zoology. 1999. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O8-ureter.html

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ureter

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"ureter." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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