Hey, Urethra!

by Greg Crowther

This jingle celebrates the unique role of the urethra in animal physiology. As expressed in the lyrics below, the urethra is part of two otherwise separate systems: the urinary system, and the male reproductive system.

Hey ya, hey ya,
Hey ya -- hey, Urethra!
Hey ya, hey ya,
Hey ya -- hey, Urethra!

CHORUS:
Like a spy in a movie,
Or a bilingual beauty,
You can do double duty --
Hey, Urethra!
To get rid of pollution,
And for sperm distribution,
There's a common solution --
Hey, Urethra!

Back up!

Seminiferous tubule,
Rete testis, efferent ductule,
Epididymis, vas deferens, ejaculatory duct.
Bowman's capsule, renal tubule,
Collecting duct,
Renal pelvis, ureter, and bladder.
Don't get stuck!

CHORUS

Thanks!

• karaoke

• MP3 (demo)

• music video

• sheet music (with melody play-back)

Songs like this one can be used during class meetings and/or in homework assignments. Either way, the song will be most impactful if students DO something with it, as opposed to just listening.

An initial, simple follow-up activity could be to answer the study questions below. A more extensive interaction with the song might entail (A) learning to sing it, using an audio file and/or sheet music as a guide, and/or (B) illustrating it with pictures, bodily poses, and/or bodily movements. The latter activity could begin with students identifying the most important or most challenging content of the song, and deciding how to illustrate that particular content.

(1) Which series of steps represents the path of sperm, and which series of steps represents the path of urine?

(2) Between semen and urine, which enters the urethra "first," i.e., at the most "upstream" location?

(3) The "renal tubule" referred to in the lyrics includes several components. What are these components?

(4) In one series of structures listed in the lyrics, we skip from collecting duct to renal pelvis. What are the additional structures through which fluid passes on the way from a collecting duct to the renal pelvis?

(5) What are alternative names (synonyms) for the efferent ductules and the the vas deferens, respectively?

(6) Bowman's capsule is an eponym (named after a person). Eponyms are generally being phased out of anatomy. What is the alternative, now-preferred name for Bowman's capsule?