What is the difference between ureters and urethras?

Ureters are tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder, and urethras are tubes that carry urine from the bladder to the outside of the body. Both help to remove waste products from the body as part of the urinary tract.

Four Components of the Urinary Tract and their Functions

• Kidneys: remove waste products from the blood, regulate the amount of water and electrolytes in the blood and regulate the pH of the blood.
• Ureters: push urine produced by the kidneys down to the bladder for storage using rhythmic contractions of the muscles in the walls of the ureters.
• Urinary bladder: store urine until it can be excreted from the body.
• Urethra: empty the bladder to the outside of the body. In males, the urethra also carries semen and sperm through the penis during ejaculation.