Chapter 8: Homeostasis and Excretion

Textbook pages
104–117

Chapter overview
This chapter covers what homeostasis is, thermoregulation, osmoregulation and excretion in
mammals, including the structure and function of the kidneys.

What to expect
Specification areas covered:
2.81 understand that homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal environment, and that
body water content and body temperature are both examples of homeostasis

2.71 know the excretory products of the lungs, kidneys and skin (organs of excretion)

2.72B understand how the kidney carries out its roles of excretion and osmoregulation

2.73B describe the structure of the urinary system, including the kidneys, ureters, bladder and
urethra

2.74B describe the structure of a nephron, including the Bowman’s capsule and glomerulus,
convoluted tubules, loop of Henle and collecting duct

2.75B describe ultrafiltration in the Bowman’s capsule and the composition of the glomerular filtrate

2.76B understand how water is reabsorbed into the blood from the collecting duct

2.77B understand why selective reabsorption of glucose occurs at the proximal convoluted tubule

2.78B describe the role of ADH in regulating the water content of the blood

2.79B understand that urine contains water, urea and ions

2.93 describe the role of the skin in temperature regulation, with reference to sweating,
vasoconstriction and vasodilation

This topic is often taught after the topics of nervous and chemical coordination. Many students find
the section on the kidney and excretion demanding, as it requires a knowledge of hormones,
diffusion and active transport. This section is often taught later in the course and the section on
homeostasis and temperature regulation taught as a separate section as part of nervous and
chemical coordination.

Homework topics could include:

 completing practical write-ups

 worksheets with factual information and data analysis exercises such as water balance or
temperature regulation
 student research about topics such as preventing hypothermia.

Teaching notes
 The role of homeostasis can be introduced by students, discussing the effects of changing
factors such as pH, temperature, water, blood glucose and salt. This offers a good
opportunity to revisit enzymes and osmosis.

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  Temperature regulation can be introduced by getting students to take their own body
temperatures and comparing them. They should (!) all be around 37 oC and the idea that this
should change very little can be then brought in. Students could draw a diagram of a human
and show the routes of heat entry and loss (e.g. internal heat production from liver leading
to loss through skin, heat loss through evaporation, radiation and convection from skin, heat
gain from the sun). The temperature of the skin can be taken before and after exercise.
 Practicals investigating heat loss can be carried out / demonstrated (see practicals).
 Students can research adaptations of animals linked to thermoregulation. These could
include penguins, sea otters, polar bears, seals or camels.
 Students can produce an advice leaflet for a school expedition. This could include advice on
clothing, risks that might occur (e.g. wet clothing), the signs of hypothermia and how to treat
it.
 Students could produce flow diagrams of thermoregulation to show how the body responds
to overheating and overcooling. Attention should be drawn to the role of the skin – a model
of the skin could be made or a poster showing vasodilation and vasoconstriction.
 Kidney structure can be introduced by demonstrating the dissection of a kidney (see
practicals).
 The teacher can demonstrate the composition of urine: addition of urease to demonstrate
urea, silver nitrate to demonstrate salt and Benedict’s test to demonstrate lack of glucose.
 Students should be able to draw out a labelled diagram of a kidney and add the position of a
nephron. Students could be given cards with labels of the parts of the nephron and use them
to label a diagram of the nephron.
 Ultrafiltration can be modelled by filling Visking tubing with a solution of salt, albumin and
glucose and placing it into a boiling tube filled with water (it works quicker when placed at
37oC). The water is then tested for protein, salt and glucose.
 Mock clinical urine samples can be tested (see practicals) and students then use their
knowledge of ultrafiltration, selective reabsorption and osmoregulation to explain the
results.
 A card sorting exercise can be used to put the events that occur during osmoregulation in
the correct sequence.

Possible misunderstandings
There are many misconceptions in this topic and students often make similar mistakes on exam
questions:

 Many students find the roles of the blood vessels in thermoregulation challenging. They
often refer to the blood vessels moving and / or refer to vasodilation of capillaries or veins.
These points should be stressed to students.
 Students often do not refer to mechanisms of heat loss (radiation, convection, conduction
and evaporation). Demonstrating these processes practically will help students to
understand them. This can be done with water in boiling tubes or students can feel the
effects of water on their hand being blown by a fan (evaporation), placing finger in cool
water (conduction), placing hand near a radiator (radiation) and seeing movement of paper
place by a hot radiator (convection).
 Many students become confused over the events of osmoregulation and think that ADH
reduces permeability of the collecting duct and reduces water reabsorption. This needs to be
stressed carefully.

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Differentiation
 For enrichment activities, students could research the effects and management of
hypothermia and kidney dialysis.
 A challenging extension task is for students to explain the relative concentrations of urea,
salt, glucose and protein at different parts of the nephron.
 Many students find the mechanisms involved with kidney function challenging. Students
could make models of the Bowman’s capsule to show the significance of particle size. A basic
model kidney can be produced with a simple pump, tubing, muslin cloth filter, and red and
white glitter to represent red and white blood cells.
 A skin model with modelling clay and straws / pipe cleaners can be made showing the blood
vessels, sweat glands and hairs.
 To help less-able students, card sorting exercises can be used to make flow charts of the
processes of thermoregulation and osmoregulation.

Practicals
Practi cals listed in the textbook

There are no practicals in this chapter.

Additi onal practi cals

 Students take body temperature and skin temperature (before and after exercise).
 Students can model methods of heat loss. This can include:
o Effect of evaporation. Cover a boiling tube with wet newspaper, fill boiling tube with
hot water, measure the temperature of the water every minute and plot a cooling
curve. The newspaper is kept wet by using a paintbrush to add more cold water. This
models evaporation and sweating, and can be discussed from the perspective of why
athletes need a foil blanket at the end of a race.
o Effect of conduction. Place a boiling tube in a beaker of cold water. Fill the boiling
tube with hot water, measure the temperature every minute and plot a cooling
curve. This models evaporation and can be discussed in conjunction with occurrence
of hypothermia when people fall into cold water.
o Effect of insulation. Place different numbers of layers of dry newspaper around
boiling tubes. Add an equal volume of hot water to each boiling tube, take the
temperature of the water every minute and plot cooling curves. Other materials can
be used such as feathers or cotton wool. The role of animal fur and feathers can be
discussed.
o Effect of surface area:volume ratio. Round bottom flasks of different volumes should
be filled with water and the temperature taken every minute. The surface
area:volume ratios of the flasks can be determined and cooling curves for each flask
plotted.
 Dissection of a kidney (this can be carried out as a class practical).
 Demonstration of the composition of urine (using urease, silver nitrate and Benedict’s
reagent).
 Analysis of ‘clinical’ human urine samples. Students carry out Benedict’s test, biuret test and
compare colours of mock samples (water with addition of tea to colour it and either glucose
or albumin):
o patient with high blood pressure (addition of protein) – to explain ultrafiltration
o patient with diabetes (addition of glucose) – to explain selective reabsorption

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 o patient with dehydration (add extra tea) – to explain osmoregulation
o patient who has consumed water (less tea added) – to explain osmoregulation
o patient with normal urine (medium amount of tea added).

© Pearson Education Ltd 2018. Copying permitted for purchasing institution only. This material is
not copyright free.