 Dear students, today we will discuss the macroscopic analysis of urine. First of all, I would like to describe why we need to take urine for macroscopic analysis. Urine is a body fluid which is excreted out of the body with the process called urination. The major components of urine are water and nitrogenous compounds like urea, creatinine and some other metabolic waste compounds. Urine analysis helps us to diagnose the diseases like uneritrack infections, kidney diseases, liver diseases, diabetes, bladder stones, hormonal levels etc. Some of the points which should be kept in mind while handling and collection of urine sample are these. First of all, the recommended sample which should be taken for the urine analysis is the first morning void. If it is not practicable, then you can take the random spot sample for the urine analysis. At least 5 ml of the sample should be taken for the urine analysis because that is the accurate amount which could be used in the further testing. Other than this, if the storage of urine sample is required then it should be done at 2 to 8 degree centigrade temperature in refrigerator and for the long time storage it should be kept at minus 70 degree centigrade. The first morning void which is used for the urine analysis, if you see any particles in that then prior to analysis the sample should be centrifuged. Other than this, the container in which you are collecting the urine sample should be properly labelled as the patient's name, date and time of collection and the lab sample number as well. The material which is usually required for the meccoscopic analysis of urine are these. The plastic cup or container which is used for the collection of urine sample. Test tubes, test tube stands, test tube holder, pH strips and gloves. The physical appearance of a urine sample is of a great deal in order to analyse the patient's condition. The change in colour and clarity of a urine sample may indicate disease and further testing might be required for proper analysis. The colour of urine which we usually observe is a shade of yellow and it may vary with the concentration of sample. The sample colours which we usually observe while doing macroscopic analysis are these. Straw colour, light yellow, yellow and dark yellow or orangish yellow. As you can observe different colours of urine sample here. The colour of urine changes with hydration level and the normal urine should look like straw colour or light yellow. If you see the colour of urine is appearing dark yellow then it means the body is dehydrated and water intake should be increased. But the colour of urine may also change due to pigments which indicates some health condition that needs medical attention. Clarity is an indicator of the transparency of a specimen. If you want to observe the clarity of a specimen then you should observe the sample while the light is passing through it. The journal terms which we use for describing the clarity of a urine sample are clear, hazy and cloudy. If the first morning void is collected properly then the urine sample usually looks like the first tube which is showing you the clear sample. And if you observe the urine sample is as cloudy as the last tube then it means the patient have a urinary tract infection and it should be treated accordingly. Each is an indicator of acidity and alkalinity of urine sample. If you want to observe the alkalinity and acidity then it could be done by using the pH strips. The normal range of pH of a normal urine sample is 5.5 to 8 pH. If the sample is showing you the pH below 7 that it means the urine is acidic and if it is showing you the pH above 7 then it means the urine is alkaline. In order to observe the pH of sample following steps should be done. First of all take the container in which urine sample is taken and open its lid carefully. Now take a pH strip and dip it in the collection container in which urine sample is present. While using a pH strip keep in mind that you should not get this area touched by your fingers as it may cause the variation in your pH results. Now we will dip this pH strip in the sample for about 10 to 15 seconds and then observe. After dipping the strip in the collection tube now we will compare these colors with the color scale given on the box and come after comparison we will get to know the pH of the urine sample. As you can see the pH strip is showing you the color same as the colors of the scale 6 to 7. So it is considered the urine sample might have 6 to 7 pH which is considered normal. This was all about the microscopic analysis of urine. If further testing is required with the urine sample then it should be kept at 2 to 8 degree centigrade and for prolonged preservation it should be kept at minus 70 degree centigrade. Lastly when all the testing has been done with the urine sample it should be disposed of properly while considering the biosafety rules.