Urine, one of the main waste products of the human body, can be an indicator of health and abnormal changes to the body. The first important subtopic is the composition of the discussed by-product of metabolism. Normal urine contains about 96% water, and the remaining 4% is presented by different organic and inorganic constituents (Gałęzowska et al., 2017). Among the normal organic constituents are urea, creatinine, and uric acid, whereas the inorganic constituents may include calcium, sulfates, phosphates, chloride, and other components (Kumar & Gill, 2018). Common abnormalities include elevated levels of proteins, high ketone levels, high glucose, and the presence of blood cells (Gałęzowska et al., 2017; Kumar & Gill, 2018). Such abnormalities can be the signs of numerous conditions, including diabetes, kidney disease, UTIs, and even cancer.
Secondly, it is essential to understand other properties of normal urine. Normal urine is colorless/light-yellow, but slight changes in color are not necessarily due to disease (Kumar & Gill, 2018). For instance, eating a lot of carrots or taking vitamin C sometimes make the urine darker or a bit orange. Regarding the links between function and structure, the entire excretory system is aimed at the elimination of wastes. Urobilinogen is delivered to the kidneys, resulting in the light-yellow color of urine (Kumar & Gill, 2018). Other normal properties of urine include pH between 4.5 and 7.5, whereas daily urine output is normally between 800 and 2000 ml (Kumar & Gill, 2018). Normal urine is transparent in appearance and almost odorless, whereas deviations from this may signify multiple issues.
In the absence of specific mnemonics, it is easy to understand and memorize the information above by organizing it into tables and dividing urine constituents into organic and inorganic ones. Research cited above demonstrates that the topic of urine composition and properties is linked to a range of other concepts and diseases. Thus, even the appearance of urine may provide information about possible harmful conditions, such as dehydration, liver issues, infections, bladder stones, and so on. Considering the opportunity to detect the risks of harmful conditions based on urine, the topic is critically important. It is reasonable to educate the general population on easily detectable urine abnormalities to improve the timely detection of some disorders.
References
Gałęzowska, G., Cieszynska-Semenowicz, M., Okrągła, E., Szychowska, K., & Wolska, L. (2017). Progress in analytical techniques for determination of urine components. Separation & Purification Reviews, 46(4), 305-318. Web.
Kumar, V., & Gill, K. D. (2018). Basic concepts in clinical biochemistry: A practical guide. Springer.