alleryStart learning →What produces the strong ammonia smell of a neglected public toilet?
ABacteria breaking down urea into ammonia
BKidneys excreting ammonia into the urine
CLiver failing to convert ammonia to urea
DBladder lining secreting ammonia directly
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Bacteria breaking down urea into ammonia
1. Fresh urine is essentially odourless and carries urea rather than ammonia.
2. Bacteria in the environment break that urea down into ammonia once the urine has been standing.
3. The smell therefore develops outside the body and is not evidence of a kidney problem.
4. Dehydration can add a slight ammonia note to concentrated urine, but the strong odour of a bathroom is bacterial.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 25 "The Urinary System", section 25.1 Physical Characteristics of Urine_
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