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Genitourinary system
 
 
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In anatomy
Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology that is the consideration of the body plan. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy and plant anatomy ....
, the genitourinary system or urogenital system is the organ system of the reproductive organs and the urinary system
Urinary system

The urinary system is the organ system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine. In humans it includes two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra....
. These are grouped together because of their proximity to each other, their common embryological
Embryology

Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any organism in a stage before birth or hatching, or in plants, before germination occurs....
 origin and the use of common pathways, like the male urethra.



To gain access to the body, pathogen
Pathogen

A pathogen , infectious agent, or germ, is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its Host .There are several substrates and pathways whereby pathogens can invade a host; the principal pathways have different episodic time frames, but soil contamination has the longest or most persistent potential for harboring...
s can penetrate mucous membranes lining the genitourinary tract.

urinary and reproductive organs are developed from the intermediate mesoderm
Intermediate mesoderm

Intermediate mesoderm is a type of mesoderm that is located between the paraxial mesoderm and the lateral plate.It develops into the part of the urogenital system ...
.






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In anatomy
Anatomy

Anatomy is a branch of biology that is the consideration of the body plan. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy and plant anatomy ....
, the genitourinary system or urogenital system is the organ system of the reproductive organs and the urinary system
Urinary system

The urinary system is the organ system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine. In humans it includes two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra....
. These are grouped together because of their proximity to each other, their common embryological
Embryology

Embryology is the study of the development of an embryo. An embryo is defined as any organism in a stage before birth or hatching, or in plants, before germination occurs....
 origin and the use of common pathways, like the male urethra.

  • Male urogenital development 3D animation:
  • Female urogenital development 3D animation:


To gain access to the body, pathogen
Pathogen

A pathogen , infectious agent, or germ, is a biological agent that causes disease or illness to its Host .There are several substrates and pathways whereby pathogens can invade a host; the principal pathways have different episodic time frames, but soil contamination has the longest or most persistent potential for harboring...
s can penetrate mucous membranes lining the genitourinary tract.

Development

The urinary and reproductive organs are developed from the intermediate mesoderm
Intermediate mesoderm

Intermediate mesoderm is a type of mesoderm that is located between the paraxial mesoderm and the lateral plate.It develops into the part of the urogenital system ...
. The permanent organs of the adult are preceded by a set of structures which are purely embryonic, and which with the exception of the ducts disappear almost entirely before the end of fetal life. These embryonic structures are on either side; the pronephros
Pronephros

Pronephros the most primitive of the three excretory systems that develop in vertebrates, corresponding to the first stage of kidney development....
, the mesonephros
Mesonephros

The mesonephros is one of three excretory system that develop in vertebrates. It serves as the main excretory organ of aquatic vertebrates and as a temporary kidney in higher vertebrates....
 and the metanephros of the kidney
Kidney

The kidneys are Organ that have numerous biological roles. Their primary role is to maintain the homeostasis balance of bodily fluids by filtering and secreting Metabolomics#Metabolitess and minerals from the blood and excreting them, along with water , as urine....
, and the Wolffian
Wolffian duct

The Wolffian duct is a paired Organ found in mammals including humans during embryogenesis.It connects the primitive kidney Wolffian body to the cloaca and serves as the anlage for certain male reproductive organs....
 and Müllerian duct
Müllerian duct

The M?llerian ducts are paired ducts of the embryo which run down the lateral sides of the urogenital ridge and terminate at the mullerian tubercle in the primitive urogenital sinus....
s of the sex organ
Sex organ

A sex organ, or primary sexual characteristic, as narrowly defined, is any of the anatomical parts of the body which are involved in sexual reproduction and constitute the reproductive system in a complex organism; in mammals, these include:...
. The pronephros disappears very early; the structural elements of the mesonephros mostly degenerate, but the gonad
Gonad

The gonad is the organ that makes gametes. The gonads in males are the testes and the gonads in females are the ovaries. The product, gametes, are haploid germ cells....
 is developed in their place, with which the Wolffian duct remains as the duct in males, and the Müllerian as that of the female. Some of the tubules of the mesonephros form part of the permanent kidney.

See also

  • Reproductive organs
  • Urinary system
    Urinary system

    The urinary system is the organ system that produces, stores, and eliminates urine. In humans it includes two kidneys, two ureters, the urinary bladder, and the urethra....