GENITOURINARY DISORDERS - Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities - page 290

CHAPTER 21
GENITOURINARY DISORDERS
James A. Wilkerson, M.D.
Principal Contributor
The urinary tract consists of the kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder, and urethra ( Fig. 21-1 ) .
The genital system includes the ovaries, Fallopian tubes, uterus, vagina, and external gen-
italia in females; the testes, epididymides, vasa deferentia, seminal vesicles, prostate gland,
and external genitalia in males. The kidneys filter blood and excrete unneeded substances
and water as urine. Urine is transported by the ureters from the kidneys to the urinary blad-
der, where it is held until voided through the urethra.
Normally hydrated adult males of average size with normal renal function form approx-
imately 1 ml of urine per minute. About 60 ml or two ounces is formed per hour; 1500 ml
or 1.5 quarts is excreted per day. Persons with smaller or larger bodies produce somewhat
smaller or larger urine volumes, although urinary output does not vary directly with size.
Dehydration reduces urine volume; overhydration increases urinary output.