What connects the kidneys to the urinary bladder?

The ureter connects the kidneys to the urinary bladder. Each kidney has a ureter that transports urine formed in the kidneys down to the bladder for storage before it is expelled from the body. The ureters are muscular tubes that utilize peristaltic movements to push urine from the kidneys, ensuring that it flows in one direction toward the bladder.

The other options do not serve this specific function: the urethra is the duct through which urine leaves the body from the bladder, the renal pelvis is the funnel-shaped structure in the kidney that collects urine before it enters the ureter, and the renal artery is a blood vessel that supplies blood to the kidneys. Each of these components plays an important role in the urinary system, but they do not connect the kidneys directly to the bladder as the ureters do.