Urinary bladder

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Description:

The bladder is an expansion in the tubular passageways of the urinary system that allows urine to be stored until it is convenient to remove it from the body. It is a distensible muscular organ situated in the pelvic cavity posterior to the pubic symphysis. In males it is directly anterior to the rectum and in females it is anterior to the vagina and sits beneath the uterus. When empty it is a collapsed muscular bag that sits within the pelvic cavity. When it becomes fully distended as it fills with urine, it becomes pear-shaped and projects into the lower abdominal cavity. The bladder is lined with transitional epithelium and has a thick wall of smooth muscle.