urea

(noun)

A water-soluble organic compound, CO(NH2)2, formed by the metabolism of proteins and excreted in the urine. The liver converts ammonia to urea.

Related Terms

  • bilirubin

Examples of urea in the following topics:

  • Chemical Composition of Urine

    • The normal chemical composition of urine is mainly water content, but it also includes nitrogenous molecules, such as urea, as well as creatinine and other metabolic waste components.
    • Urea is essentially a processed form of ammonia that is non-toxic to mammals, unlike ammonia, which can be highly toxic.
    • Describe how normal urine consists of water, urea, salts and pigment
  • Renal Disease and Failure

    • Renal failure uremia is a syndrome of renal failure characterized by elevated levels of urea and creatinine in the blood.
    • This is detected by a decrease in or absence of urine production or determination of waste products (creatinine or urea) in the blood.
    • Renal failure uremia is a syndrome of renal failure that includes elevated blood urea and creatinine levels.
  • Tubular Secretion

    • At this final stage it is only approximately one percent of the originally filtered volume, consisting mostly of water with highly diluted amounts of urea, creatinine, and variable concentrations of ions.
  • Amnion Development

    • It contains less than two percent solids, and consists mainly of urea and other extractives, inorganic salts, a small amount of protein, and, frequently, a trace of sugar.
  • Dialysis

    • The counter-current flow of the blood and dialysate maximizes the concentration gradient of solutes between the blood and dialysate, which helps to remove more urea and creatinine from the blood.
    • The concentrations of solutes (for example potassium, phosphorus, and urea) are undesirably high in the blood, but low or absent in the dialysis solution; constant replacement of the dialysate ensures that the concentration of undesired solutes is kept low on this side of the membrane.
  • Overview of the Urinary System

    • Removal of metabolic waste products from the body (mainly urea and uric acid).
    • Nephrons are the main functional component inside the parenchyma of the kidneys, which filter blood to remove urea, a waste product formed by the oxidation of proteins, as well as ions like potassium and sodium.
  • Pulmonary Edema

    • Blood tests are performed for electrolytes (sodium, potassium) and markers of renal function (creatinine, urea).
  • Diagnostic Blood Tests

    • A basic metabolic panel measures sodium, potassium, chloride, bicarbonate, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), magnesium, creatinine, glucose, and sometimes includes calcium.
  • Blood Plasma

    • Waste products are carried through the plasma during their removal, including urea and ammonia.
  • Protection

    • These glands also help to excrete potentially dangerous substances, like urea, out of the body. 
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