Ureter

The ureters are tubes composed of smooth muscle that transport urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. In adult humans, the ureters are typically 20–30 centimeters long and 3–4 millimeters in diameter. They are lined with urothelial cells, a form of transitional epithelium, and feature an extra layer of smooth muscle in the lower third to aid peristalsis. The ureters can be affected by diseases including urinary tract infections and kidney stones. Stenosis is the narrowing of a ureter, often caused by chronic inflammation. Congenital abnormalities can cause development of two ureters on the same side or abnormally placed ureters. Reflux of urine from the bladder into the ureters is common in children. The ureters have been identified for at least two thousand years, with the word ureter stemming from the stem uro- relating to urinating and seen in written records since at least the time of Hippocrates. It is, however, only since the 16th century that the term "ureter" has been consistently used to refer to the modern structure, and only since the development of medical imaging in the 20th century that techniques such as X-ray, CT, and ultrasound have been able to view the ureters. The ureters are also seen from the inside using a flexible camera, called ureteroscopy, which was first described in 1964.