01 / Location & anatomical relationships
Running from each kidney down to the bladder.
02 / Structure & organization
Each ureter is a muscular tube lined by urothelium. Peristaltic waves propel urine from the renal pelvis toward the bladder. The oblique passage through the bladder wall helps limit backward flow during filling.
03 / Function
Muscles in their walls help move urine along.
04 / Mechanism
Each tube has a muscular wall that squeezes in waves. These movements propel urine toward the bladder. The way the tubes enter the bladder helps limit urine flowing backward.
Working together: urinary system
Kidneys make urine, ureters carry it to the bladder, and the urethra provides the path out during urination.
Meet this body system →FOR DEEPER STUDY
Connect structure with function
Ureters carry urine; they do not filter blood or store large volumes. Their muscular transport continues independently of body position.
Check your understanding
Locate the ureters in relation to its neighbors. Explain how the structural features described above support its function, then distinguish it from a nearby structure with a different role.
Keep learning
Further reading: NIDDK: Your Kidneys & How They Work.
Continue with OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology for system-level study. This atlas is educational and has not undergone independent medical peer review.