The Genitourinary System Trivia Quiz

Answer: two

A straightforward one to start with. Most of us have two kidneys but some of us are born with only one. Sometimes the two kidneys are fused together at their base in what is known as a horseshoe kidney. Occasionally the two kidneys will be found on the same side with one being "ectopic". Kidneys usually have just one drain (ureter) to the bladder but sometimes there will be two and then the kidney may be two functional units in one.

This is called a duplex kidney. The normal kidney is bean shaped and hidden deep in back for protection.

Answer: drink more water

Calcium type stones may be preventable in some people and not others. It is safe to say that hydration is the most important thing you can do to prevent a recurrence. Eight to ten glasses of water (not of the sparkling variety) is suggested. Lemon flavoring makes it more palatable for some people. Kidney stones often recur without a change in diet and hydration so hoping for the best isn't the best course. Cranberry juice has a lot of oxalate in it and may contribute to calcium type kidney stone development. Salt displaces calcium into your urine and should be avoided if you have a history of kidney stones.

Answer: consult the doctor

Blood in the urine, especially the passage of clots, can be due to a serious problem, even cancer. It should never be ignored and doesn't happen in normal circumstances. See your doctor and they will investigate the problem with various tests. Eating beets does cause pink urine in some people, but never causes clot passage. Cranberry juice might help if the problem was a urinary tract infection but that needs to be proved to be the cause.

Answer: filter impurities out of my blood and get rid of excess fluid

Kidneys do many things like monitor our blood pressure and calcium balance and even help us make our red blood cells, but not our white ones. They don't make enzymes for digestion and they don't add oxygen to the blood. They filter out the poisons that might accumulate in our system and get rid of excess fluid.

When they don't work at all, life isn't possible without some form of intervention.

Answer: I might need to undergo dialysis

Chronic renal failure isn't absolute, there are various forms of it. In the worst stage, life isn't possible without cleansing the blood and removing excess fluid through dialysis (which either uses a machine with filters or a fluid transiently placed in the abdominal cavity to absorb the impurities). Dietary restrictions are certain so that harmful substances such as potassium and salt don't build up too quickly in our bodies. Since the kidneys also remove excess fluids, fluid restriction is suggested in patients with renal failure. Renal transplantation is an option for some people. Blood pressure concerns will be important and treatment may be needed for this as the kidneys play a big role in blood pressure equilibrium in normal people.

Answer: tell him to see a doctor immediately

Hard masses in the testis are considered to be cancerous until proven otherwise and delay in reporting them to family and the physician is very typical. Treatment is highly successful but better done early. Most men are at young adult age when they get cancer of the testis, but it can be present in children and the elderly. No growth changes would explain a hard mass and most tumors are painless, though some are painful. Buying an athletic support would be of no real help here.

Answer: excretion of urinary citrate in females is higher

Women form fewer stones due to the higher concentration of citrate in their urine relative to their creatinine. It is thought that this is one of the most likely reasons that women have fewer kidney stone attacks than men. Eating salt and drinking cranberry juice or less water may actually increase kidney stone development.

Answer: wait to see whether it will improve over time

Children become dry by night over a range of years, some never achieving that state even to adulthood. There is a definite correlation to a family history of wetting the bed or enuresis as it is called. Waiting to see if it will cease on it's own is the best choice here as she is only four. I would still consult a physician, however. Imipramine has serious side effects and should be avoided and discipline has no place whatsoever.

A star chart used to reward the child for dry nights does more to raise esteem than to promote dryness as has been shown in studies.

Answer: nitrates (such as nitroglycerine or isosorbide)

Nitrates including nitroglycerine and isosorbide are a particular contraindication when using Viagra (sildenafil) as death can be the result of taking them together. Both sildenafil and nitrates can lower your blood pressure. The others listed are not contraindicated.

Answer: it makes a fluid that supports sperm maturation and delivery

The prostate only exists to serve as a secretory gland for seminal fluid used in the support of the sperm produced in the testes. Sperm are actually only a very small portion of the ejaculate. There is no testosterone made in the prostate nor does it normally affect the blood pressure.

There are sphincters or tight muscles that hold urine in and the prostate isn't necessary for that function.