The physiology of micturition

The bladder has a dual role: to store urine for much of the time without excess leakage; to void the bladder content completely and rapidly at a time that is under the control of the individual. An inability to achieve these objectives will result in incontinence, ineffective voiding or retention of urine, and is a cause of a considerable reduction in the quality of life, and significant medical problems. To understand the pathological causes of these conditions it is necessary to understand the normal and physiological processes that result in controlled voiding of urine.