What is the function of the bladder?

• A. Filter blood
• B. Store urine
• C. Regulate metabolism
• D. Produce urine

Answer: (B)

The essential idea is the bladder’s role as a storage reservoir for urine. Urine is produced by the kidneys and then travels down the ureters into the bladder, where it is stored until you choose to empty it. The bladder is a hollow, muscular sac that expands as it fills and contracts to release urine when appropriate. Its lining and the surrounding detrusor muscle allow it to hold urine at low pressure during filling, with sphincters keeping it contained. When it’s time to void, the detrusor muscle contracts and the surrounding sphincters relax to expel urine through the urethra.

Urine production and filtration are kidney functions, not bladder ones, and metabolism regulation is a broader body-wide process, not specific to the bladder.