The bladder is part of the body system we use for filtering waste products out of the blood and making urine. This is called the urinary system. It is made up of the:
- Kidneys
- Ureters
- Bladder
- Prostate
- Urethra
There are two kidneys, one on each side of the body. The kidneys filter the blood and make the urine. The urine is carried to the bladder by two tubes called the ureters. The bladder is like a balloon which stores urine. It is a stretchy bag, made of muscle tissue, and can hold about 500mls or 3 cups of urine.
When we empty our bladders, the urine passes down a tube called the urethra and out of the body. The urethra in men passes through the prostate gland and down the penis. In women, the urethra is much shorter and passes from the bladder down to an opening just in front of the vagina.
The inside of the bladder has a special type of lining that can stretch as the bladder fills up. This lining is called transitional epithelium. It stops the urine being absorbed back into the body. Below this first layer is a thin layer of connective tissue called the lamina propria. Underneath this layer is a layer of muscle tissue called the muscularis propria. The final layer is another area of connective tissue that is fatty. This layer separates the bladder from other body organs such as the prostate and kidneys.
