Editedtripple Excretion

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EXCRETION
Objectives- define excretion as the removal of waste products of metabolism
and/or toxic materials fromorganisms.
- identify parts of the urinary system: kidneys, ureter, bladder, urethra - describe
the functions of kidneys, ureter, bladder and urethra
-draw and label a cross section of a mammalian kidney - discuss the structure
and function of the nephron
- describe the removal of water and urea through the kidneys (ultra filtration,
selective reabsorption)
- describe dialysis in kidney machines as the diffusion of waste products and
salts (small molecules) through a selectively-permeable membrane.
EXCRETION
This refers to the removal of metabolic waste from the body. There are several organs which play
an important role in this process.
EXCRETORY ORGAN EXCRETORY PRODUCT

Lungs Carbon dioxide
Kidneys Nitrogenous waste, water toxins, used
drugs, hormones & excess salts.
Liver Bile pigments
Position of Kidneys in the body

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Functions of parts
i) Blood vessels
➢ Renal artery; brings oxygenated blood to the kidneys from the aorta. This blood is rich in
food materials, oxygen & waste substances such as urea.
➢ Renal vein; carries deoxygenated blood from the kidneys to the vena cava.
ii) Kidneys
These are bean shaped organs found in the abdomen towards the back. They filter the blood and
remove any waste to form a substance called urine.
iii) Ureter
This is a tube that emerges from of the two kidneys and serves to transport urine from kidneys to
the bladder.
iv) Bladder
It is a muscular organ that stores urine. It is kept closed by a ring of muscles called sphincter
muscles, which relax at certain times to let urine out of the bladder. An adult’s bladder can hold
between 450-500ml of urine.
v) Urethra
It is a tube that carries urine to the outside of the body. In females it carries urine only, whilst in
males it transports both urine & semen but at different times.
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Structure of Kidney & Nephron

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Approximately one million nephrons (right) compose each bean-shaped kidney (left). The filtration
unit of the nephron, called the glomerulus, regulates the concentration of important substances
such as potassium, calcium, and hydrogen, and removes substances not produced by the body
such as drugs and food additives. The filtrate, urine, leaves the nephron through a long tubule
and collecting duct. Chemical signals triggered by the body’s need for water and salt cause the
walls of the tubule to become more or less permeable to these substances, which are reabsorbed
accordingly from the urine.
The main function of the kidneys is to remove urea & other waste from the body as urine. The
kidney has two regions; the cortex & the medulla. The cortex appears dark red since the
glomerulus is located in this region. The medulla is lighter than cortex this is where the rest of
renal tubule lies, towards the ureter. A nephron is the smallest unit that makes urine. It consists of
a cup-shaped structure called the Bowman’s capsule , which encloses highly coiled capillaries
called the Glomerulus. Extending form the bowman’s capsule is along coiled tube called the
renal tubule.
The nephron makes urine through these main processes;

➢ Ultra filtration
➢ Selective reabsorption
Ultra filtration
An arteriole brings blood (dirty) into each of the glomerulus in a kidney. The blood is from the
aorta hence it under high pressure. The rapid coiling of afferent artery in the glomerulus further
raises this pressure. The raised pressure of the blood forces the liquid part of the blood into the
bowman’s capsule and this is called ultra filtration. This fluid is now called the glomerular filtrate.
The glomerular filtrate trickles down the renal tubule extending from the glomerulus coiled around
the capillaries. The glomerular filtrate has both useful & waste substances dissolved in it. As the
glomerular filtrate moves down the renal tubule some water, glucose & other useful salts are reabsorbed back into the
blood by the capillaries coiled around the renal tubule. The process of choosing which substances are taken back into
the blood is called Selective-Reabsorption. The waste materials will be left behind to exit the renal tubule through the
collecting ducts. The substance is now called urine.
If the blood becomes too concentrated (has less water) a hormone called Anti-Diuretic Hormone (ADH) is released.
This will stimulate the nephron to reabsorb most of the water. If the blood is dilute (has more water) the production of
ADH stops. The nephron will then leave most of the water in the glomerular filtrates therefore more urine is made.
KIDNEY FAILURE
Kidneys may not perform their function if they have been affected by diseases or as a result of sudden drop in blood
pressure, maybe due to road accidents. If the kidney fails one can have a kidney transplant or use an “artificial” kidney
or dialysis machine. During a kidney transplant a close relative is usually the best candidate. Sometimes the patient’s
immune system can resist the transplanted kidney, therefore immunosuppressant drugs are used to minimize rejection.
Dialysis machine
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Blood from a patient suffering from kidney failure is led from the patient’s vein into the dialysis tubing which is made of
cellulose material. In the tubing there are submicroscopic pores which allow small molecules such as those of salts,
glucose & urea to leak out into the water bath which the dialysis tubing is coiled in. larger substances such as proteins
are not allowed into out of the dialysis tubing, hence making semi-permeable. Because the concentration of the waste
substances is higher in the blood than in the dialysis fluid, they will pass through the membrane into the dialysis fluid.
The continuous coiling of the tubing enables a thorough blood cleansing.

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EXCRETORY ORGAN EXCRETORY PRODUCT

Position of Kidneys in the body

Structure of Kidney & Nephron

The nephron makes urine through these main processes;

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