Search: Focus:

Use the fields above to enter a search or search/focus. Use the search field to match your desired topic
and use the focus field to refine it.

Urine, Urine

These chemicals can be detected and analyzed by urinalysis. Amniotic fluid is closely related to urine, and can be analyzed by amniocentesis.

Urine is an aqueous solution of approximately 95% water, with the remaining percentages being metabolic wastes such as urea, dissolved salts, and organic compounds. Fluid and materials being filtered by the kidneys, destined to become urine, come from the blood or interstitial fluid.

Some diseases alter the quantity and consistency of the urine, such as sugar as a consequence of diabetes.

High concentrations in the blood can cause damage to organs of the body. Urine has not been proven to be good for the body, though some people think it to be. Some suggest drinking it but urine contains wastes that the body seeks to be rid of. However, after suitable processing (as is done, for example, on the International Space Station), it is possible to extract potable water for drinking.

In persons with hyperuricosuria, acidic urine can contribute to the formation of stones of uric acid in the kidneys, ureters, or bladder.

Producing too much or too little urine needs medical attention: Polyuria is a condition of excessive production of urine (> 2.5 L/day), in contrast to oliguria where < 400 mL are produced per day, or anuria with a production of < 100 mL per day.

A urinalysis is a medical examination of the urine and part of routine examinations. A culture of the urine is performed when a urinary tract infection is suspected. A microscopic examination of the urine may be helpful to identify organic or inorganic substrates and help in the diagnosis.

The exception is when alcohol, caffeine, or other diuretics are consumed, in which case urine can be clear and copious and the person still be dehydrated.

Urine from postmenopausal women is rich in gonadotropins that can yield follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone for fertility therapy. The first such commercial product was Pergonal. Urine from pregnant women contains enough human chorionic gonadotropins for commercial extraction and purification to produce hCG medication. Pregnant mare urine is the source of estrogens, namely Premarin.

It was believed that the ammonia in the pad neutralized the chlorine. These pads were held over the face until the soldiers could escape from the poisonous fumes, although it is now known that chlorine gas reacts with urine to produce toxic fumes (see chlorine and Use of poison gas in World War I).

Alchemists spent much time trying to extract gold from urine, and this effort led to discoveries such as white phosphorus, which was discovered by the German alchemist Hennig Brand in 1669 when he was distilling fermented urine. In 1773 the French chemist Hilaire Rouelle discovered the organic compound urea by boiling urine dry.

Source: Wikipedia > Urine



Related Links

  • No related links.

Web Links

News Links




QuickyWiki beta

What is QuickyWiki? QuickyWiki blends the depth of Wikipedia with the ease and speed of Cliffs Notes.




More from TRYNT



Sponsors



Powered by Odin Assemble