# Genitourinary system > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Genitourinary_system > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Genitourinary_system.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitourinary_system > Source revision: 1334228532 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) The **genitourinary system**, or **urogenital system**, are the [sex organs](/source/Sex_organs) of the [reproductive system](/source/Reproductive_system) and the [organs](/source/Organ_(biology)) of the [urinary system](/source/Urinary_system).[1] These are grouped together because of their proximity to each other, [their common embryological origin](/source/Development_of_the_urinary_and_reproductive_organs) and the use of common pathways. Because of this, the systems are sometimes imaged together.[2] In [placental mammals](/source/Placentalia) (including humans), the male [urethra](/source/Urethra) goes through and opens into the [penis](/source/Penis) while the female urethra and [vagina](/source/Vagina) empty through the [vulva](/source/Vulva).[3] The term "apparatus urogenitalis" was used in *[Nomina Anatomica](/source/Nomina_Anatomica)* (under [splanchnologia](/source/Splanchnologia)) but is not used in the current *[Terminologia Anatomica](/source/Terminologia_Anatomica)*. ## Development Main articles: [Development of the urinary system](/source/Development_of_the_urinary_system) and [Development of the reproductive system](/source/Development_of_the_reproductive_system) The urinary and reproductive organs are developed from the [intermediate mesoderm](/source/Intermediate_mesoderm). The permanent organs of the adult are preceded by a set of structures that are purely embryonic and that, with the exception of the ducts, disappear almost entirely before the end of fetal life. These embryonic structures are on either side: the [pronephros](/source/Pronephros), the [mesonephros](/source/Mesonephros) and the [metanephros](/source/Metanephros) of the [kidney](/source/Kidney), and the [Wolffian](/source/Wolffian_duct) and [Müllerian ducts](/source/M%C3%BCllerian_duct) of the [sex organ](/source/Sex_organ). The pronephros disappears very early; the structural elements of the mesonephros mostly degenerate, but the [gonad](/source/Gonad) is developed in their place, with which the Wolffian duct remains as the duct in males, and the Müllerian as that of the female. Some of the tubules of the mesonephros form part of the permanent kidney. ## Structures ### Urethra #### Female Urethra The urethra of an adult human female is 3-4 cm long.[4] The female urethra is located between the bladder neck to the external urethral orifice and is behind the symphysis pubis.[4] The urethral wall is composed of an inner epithelial lining, a sub-mucosa layer containing vascular supply, a thin fascial layer, and two layers of smooth muscle.[4] #### Male Urethra The urethra of an adult human male is 18-20 cm long.[4] It has a diameter of 8-9 mm.[4] The male urethra is divided into two sections. ## Disorders Further information: [Female genital disease](/source/Female_genital_disease), [Male genital disease](/source/Male_genital_disease) and [Urologic disease](/source/Urologic_disease) Disorders of the genitourinary system includes a range of disorders from those that are asymptomatic to those that manifest an array of signs and symptoms. Causes for these disorders include congenital anomalies, infectious diseases, [trauma](/source/Genitourinary_tract_injury), or conditions that secondarily involve the urinary structure. To gain access to the body, [pathogens](/source/Pathogen) can penetrate mucous membranes lining the genitourinary tract. ### Malformations Urogenital malformations include: - [Hypospadias](/source/Hypospadias) - [Epispadias](/source/Epispadias) - [Labial fusion](/source/Labial_fusion) - [Varicocele](/source/Varicocele) As a medical specialty, **genitourinary pathology** is the subspecialty of [surgical pathology](/source/Surgical_pathology) which deals with the [diagnosis](/source/Diagnosis) and characterization of [neoplastic](/source/Neoplasia) and non-neoplastic [diseases](/source/Disease) of the [urinary tract](/source/Urinary_tract), male genital tract and testes. However, medical disorders of the kidneys are generally within the expertise of [renal pathologists](/source/Renal_pathology). Genitourinary [pathologists](/source/Pathology) generally work closely with [urologic surgeons](/source/Urology). ## References 1. ["UC Davis Department of Radiology - Genitourinary Radiology"](http://www.ucdmc.ucdavis.edu/radiology/specialties/genitourinary.html). Retrieved 2010-03-16. 1. Marvalee H. Wake (15 September 1992). [*Hyman's Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy*](https://books.google.com/books?id=VKlWjdOkiMwC&pg=PA583). University of Chicago Press. p. 583. ISBN 978-0-226-87013-7. Retrieved 6 May 2013. 1. Abelson, Benjamin (22 October 2018). "Sex differences in lower urinary tract biology and physiology". *Biology of Sex Differences*. **9** (1): 45. [doi:10.1186/s13293-018-0204-8](https://doi.org/10.1186/s13293-018-0204-8). [PMC 6196569](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196569). [PMID 30343668](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30343668) ## External links - [Male urogenital development 3D animation](https://www.youtube.com/-UMli4xpm8c) on YouTube - [Female urogenital development 3D animation](https://www.youtube.com/BIdQjHHXF4I) on YouTube --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Genitourinary system](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitourinary_system) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genitourinary_system?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.