ABSTRACT
Usually the urine is a sparklingly clear fluid which is yellow or amber. It has a characteristic odor which is not regarded as disagreeable by most persons. The urine on occasion may be turbid and yet be completely normal. Turbidity of urine specimens in healthy persons is due to precipitation of phosphate salts or uric acid in the bladder. Such precipitation may occur due to changes in the acidity or alkalinity of the urine in the bladder. The odor of urine may be modified by the foods in the diet. The normal color of the urine is contributed by a mixture of normal metabolic products which arise as a result of the chemical processes which continuously occur within the body. Homogentisic acid is excreted in the urine in the genetic disorder known as alcaptonuria. The only method for identifying abnormal changes in the physical properties of urine depends on the subjective use of the senses of sight and smell.
