Which structures primarily store urine before voiding?

• A. The ureters store urine before voiding.
• B. The bladder stores urine; the urethra conducts urine out of the body.
• C. The kidneys store urine.
• D. The renal pelvis stores urine.

Answer: (B)

Urine is stored before voiding in the bladder. The bladder is a flexible reservoir that fills as urine travels from the kidneys via the ureters. Its walls expand, and the sensation of fullness triggers the urge to urinate. The detrusor muscle relaxes during filling and then contracts to expel urine when you void, with the urethra providing the outlet to outside the body. The kidneys don’t store urine; they form and concentrate it. The renal pelvis collects urine from the calyces and funnels it into the ureter, but it’s not a long-term storage site. The ureters transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder and do not serve as storage. So, the bladder stores urine and the urethra conducts it out of the body.