Urine: Encyclopedia II - Urine - Composition

Urine - Composition

Urine is the byproduct or waste fluid secreted by the kidneys, transported by the ureters to the urinary bladder where it is stored until it is voided through the urethra. It is a transparent solution that is clear to amber in color, and usually is light yellow. Urine is made up of a watery solution of metabolic wastes (such as urea), dissolved salts and organic materials. Fluid and materials being filtered by the kidneys, destined to become urine, comes from the blood or interstitial fluid. The composition of urine is adjusted in the process of reabsorption when essential molecules needed by the body, such as glucose, are reabsorbed back into the blood stream via carrier molecules. The remaining fluid contains high concentrations of urea and other excess or potentially toxic substances that will be released from the body via urination. Urine flows through these structures: the kidney, ureter, bladder, and finally the urethra. Urine is produced by a process of filtration, reabsorption, and tubular secretion.

Urine contains large amounts of urea, an excellent source of nitrogen for plants. As such it is a useful accelerator for compost. Urea is 10,000 times less toxic than ammonia and is a byproduct of deamination (2 NH₃ molecules) and cellular respiration's (1 CO₂ molecule) products combining together. Other components include various inorganic salts such as sodium chloride (the discharge of sodium through urine is known as "natriuresis".)

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Composition", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki