URETER

one of two ducts that transmit urine from each kidney to the bladder. Each ureter is a narrow tube that is about 12 inches (30 cm) long. A ureter has thick, contractile walls, and its diameter varies considerably at different points along its length. The tube emerges from each kidney, descends behind the abdominal cavity, and opens into the bladder. At its termination the ureter passes through the bladder wall in such a way that, as the bladder fills with urine, this terminal part of the ureter tends to close.