Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Book

Physiology, Bladder

In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan.
.
Affiliations
Free Books & Documents
Book

Physiology, Bladder

Nicholas J. Lanzotti et al.
Free Books & Documents

Excerpt

The bladder forms an integral part of the genitourinary system. Urine, created by the kidneys, is drained into the bladder by the bilateral ureters. The bladder then acts as the storage site for this waste product until higher-order centers within the central nervous system initiate the micturition (i.e., urination) process, which permits the expulsion of urine into the urethra, located on the inferior aspect of the bladder. The physiology involved in bladder function and micturition is exceedingly complex, integrating the autonomic nervous system, the central nervous system, the somatic nervous system, and neurohormonal modulation. This complex physiologic interplay is, in turn, a site of action for several pharmaceutical agents that treat common bladder pathologies.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosure: Nicholas Lanzotti declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Muhammad Ali Tariq declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Disclosure: Srinivasa Rao Bolla declares no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

References

    1. Andersson KE, Arner A. Urinary bladder contraction and relaxation: physiology and pathophysiology. Physiol Rev. 2004 Jul;84(3):935-86. - PubMed
    1. Merrill L, Gonzalez EJ, Girard BM, Vizzard MA. Receptors, channels, and signalling in the urothelial sensory system in the bladder. Nat Rev Urol. 2016 Apr;13(4):193-204. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gillespie JI, Markerink-van Ittersum M, de Vente J. Sensory collaterals, intramural ganglia and motor nerves in the guinea-pig bladder: evidence for intramural neural circuits. Cell Tissue Res. 2006 Jul;325(1):33-45. - PubMed
    1. Karicheti V, Christ GJ. Physiological roles for K+ channels and gap junctions in urogenital smooth muscle: implications for improved understanding of urogenital function, disease and therapy. Curr Drug Targets. 2001 Mar;2(1):1-20. - PubMed
    1. Fry CH, Meng E, Young JS. The physiological function of lower urinary tract smooth muscle. Auton Neurosci. 2010 Apr 19;154(1-2):3-13. - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources