Each bean-shaped kidney is embedded in fat and fibrous connective tissue for protection. The nephrons filter, secrete, and reabsorb various elements from the blood. An adult's bladder can hold as much as one pint of urine. If an individual does not drink sufficient water to dilute urine, or does not void the urine often enough, the bladder may become irritated, inflamed and even infected. While urine is relatively sterile in a healthy person, it is extremely susceptible to bacterial invasion and should be expelled several times a day.
Normal expulsion is about two pints per day.
Micturition is the medical term for emptying the bladder. When the bladder fills, tension from the liquid rises to a threshold that triggers the sensation to void. A sphincter muscle holds the liquid until signaled to relax, allowing the urine to pass out another tube called the urethra. What about Diuretics Certain chemicals occurring naturally in plants or manufactured in laboratories act to prevent normal kidney reabsorption of water taken from the blood. This means that a person taking diuretic drugs, all of which can be relatively dangerous for long-term use, should also take supplements like potassium to maintain healthful levels of the elements being lost.