Urinary reflexes have been thought to depend on mechanically sensitive ion channels. But the identities of these channels—and the identities of the cells these channels sensitize—have been unclear.

Scientists have found that the main sensor protein enabling our sense of touch also underlies the feeling of having a full bladder and makes normal bladder function possible. The discovery marks a key ...

Various nerves control bladder and bowel function, including the spinal cord, cauda equina, pudendal nerves, and the enteric nervous system, a nerve network in the walls of the digestive tract. These ...