Describe the role of the urinary bladder in the excretory process.

The urinary bladder is a muscular organ in the excretory system that serves as a temporary storage reservoir for urine. Its main role is to collect and store urine until it is voluntarily expelled from the body during the process of micturition or urination. The bladder’s muscular walls can expand to accommodate varying volumes of urine. Sensory signals from the stretch receptors in the bladder trigger the urge to urinate when the bladder reaches its capacity. The coordinated contraction of the bladder muscles, along with relaxation of the urethral sphincters, allows controlled release of urine from the body.