alleryStart learning →What is the functional consequence of the ureter piercing the bladder wall obliquely?
AAn anatomical sphincter of skeletal muscle
BA pressure gradient that empties the ureter
CA one-way valve that prevents urine reflux
DA peristaltic pacemaker for the ureter wall
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. A one-way valve that prevents urine reflux
1. Each ureter approaches the bladder medially and passes through its wall at a slant.
2. That oblique tunnel is compressed as the bladder fills, so it acts as a one-way valve.
3. Urine enters the bladder but cannot reflux back up the ureter.
4. The valve is physiological rather than anatomical, since no separate ring of muscle forms it.
5. Children born without this oblique course get vesicoureteral reflux and a much higher risk of serious infection.
_Source: OpenStax Anatomy and Physiology (CC BY 4.0), Ch 25 "The Urinary System", section 25.2 Gross Anatomy of Urine Transport_
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