This document discusses micturition, or urination. It describes the anatomy of the urinary bladder and its innervation by sympathetic, parasympathetic, and somatic nerves. The parasympathetic nervous system causes contraction of the detrusor muscle and emptying of the bladder via the micturition reflex in the spinal cord. This reflex can be inhibited or facilitated by the brain. When the bladder fills, stretch receptors send signals to the spinal cord to trigger the reflex. Relaxation of the external urethral sphincter allows urine to pass through the urethra. Damage to sensory nerves can cause an atonic or automatic bladder.