Which one of the following is an abnormal constituent of urine?a)Gluc...
Urine is pale yellowish fluid and its shade depends on its concentration. The colour of urine is due to a pigment called urochrome that is derived from the breakdown of haemoglobin from the worn-out RBCs. The colour of the urine may get altered by the consumption of certain materials like beet, vitamin B complex and some drugs. Urine is hypertonic to blood plasma. The specific gravity of urine ranges between 1.003 and 1.04, i.e., slightly higher than that of water. Its pH is 6 which depends on the diet. High-protein food and fruits increase acidity whereas vegetables increase alkalinity. Urine has a characteristic unpleasant odour. If allowed to stand, urea is degraded by bacteria to ammonia which imparts a strong smell to the urine.
Chemical composition: Urine consists of water and organic and inorganic substances. Water forms about 95% of its volume and other substances form only 5%. The organic substances are mainly nitrogenous organic compounds including urea, uric acid, creatinine and hippuric acid. Of these, urea is the principal component of human urine. The non-nitrogenous organic compounds include vitamin C, oxalic acid, phenolic substances including ammonia, and mineral salts such as chlorides, sulphates and phosphates of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. NaCl is the principal mineral salt of the urine. Urine may also contain some other substances like pigments and drugs, and some epithelial cells and leucocytes.
Abnormal materials: Proteins (albumins), bile salts, bile pigments, ketone bodies, blood, pus, microbes and more than a trace of glucose may present in the urine under pathological conditions. Presence of glucose, protein, blood, ketone bodies and pus in the urine is called glycosuria, proteinuria, haematuria, ketonuria and pyuria, respectively.