The Excretory System-Biology-Unit 7

The Excretory System

- All the tissues and organs that are
involved in the removal of waste products

I. Parts of the Human Excretory System:

A. The Urinary System- Excretes water,
nitrogen wastes and salts

B. The Digestive System- Eliminates

water, some salts and bile in addition to
indigestible food matter. These materials
combine to make feces.

C. Respiratory System- Eliminates

D. Integumentary System- (the Skin)

Excretes water, salts and small amounts of
nitrogen wastes (urea),
II. The Urinary System in Detail
1. The Kidneys- extract wastes from the
blood,

- Location- The body’s two kidneys are

against the back wall of the abdominal
cavity.
- The kidneys are separated into two
regions, the outer Cortex and the inner
Medulla.

- The functional unit of the kidney

2. The kidneys are involved in the

following process:
-

-When Amino Acids are broken down in

the body they leave behind
 -The liver turns these wastes into urea,

3. Maintaining Water Balance.

-The kidneys are responsible for
maintaining a steady level of water in the
body, even when the amount of water
entering

4. Excretion of unwanted substances:

- Urea (dissolved in water) is filtered out of
the blood by the bulb end of the
 - Urine is collected by the Ureter and
carried to the urinary bladder

- During urination,

C. Urine usually contains the following

substances:
-

- Salts,
 -Pigments from bile compounds in the
blood or from food or drug dyes.

D. Urine should NOT contain the following:

1. Glucose
-If present this indicates the cells are
not absorbing or metabolizing sugars,
usually as a result of diabetes.

2. Blood
-If present this indicates kidney damage
or urinary system disease, like nephritis.

III. Disorders of the Urinary System:

A. Kidney Disorders:
1. Kidney stones are formed

-The stones that form may arise in the

kidneys, after filtration, or in the bladder.
- Kidney stones can be the size of small
grains of sand or the size of pebbles.
-Surgery is usually required to remove
larger stones while some of the smaller
ones can be passed through the ureters
and urethra out of the body.
 2. Kidney Failure (Renal System Failure)

- Renal failure may cause dehydration,

a build-up of nitrogen wastes in the blood,
salt imbalances, anemia and hypertension.

- Renal dialysis-

- A kidney transplant is the final

treatment for renal failure. Kidneys contain
extra functioning tissue so that individuals
can live normally with just one intact.

3. Gout-

-the crystals collect in the joints in the

legs, causing pain and swelling.