Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

1. The process where the body gets rid of nitrogenous waste is known as
A) Excretion
B) Diffusion
C) Evaporation
D) Egestion
Answer: A
Excretion is the elimination of the waste products of metabolism from the body.

2. Which of the following is NOT an excretory product?

A) Carbon dioxide
B) Sweat
C) Undigested food in faeces
D) Urine
Answer: C
Undigested food is removed from the body through the process of Egestion

3. What causes water to pass from the glomerulus to the Bowman’s capsule during
ultrafiltration?
A) Blood pressure
B) Diffusion
C) Osmosis
D) Secretion
Answer: B
When pressure builds up in the capillaries of the glomerulus, smaller components of the blood
plasma are pushed into the surrounding cup-like Bowman’s capsule.

4. When too much water is consumed, the blood becomes diluted. What occurs during this
phenomenon?
A) Less ADH secreted, increases urine concentration
B) Less ADH secreted, decreases reabsorption of water
C) More ADH secreted, increases reabsorption of water
D) More ADH secreted, decreases reabsorption of water
Answer: B
An antidiuretic hormone (ADH) controls the water content of the blood.
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

5. What would happen to body cells if the blood supplying them became very concentrated?
A) Burst
B) Lose salts
C) Lose water
D) Become turgid
Answer: C
Water will leave body cells by the process of Osmosis. Water molecules will move from where
there are plenty water molecules (body cell) to where there are less water molecules
(concentrated blood).
6. What is responsible for stimulating the breakdown of glycogen in the liver?
A) ADH
B) Diabetes
C) Glucagon
D) Insulin
Answer: C
Glucagon are released from alpha cells in the liver to breakdown glycogen to glucose.
Items 7- 10 refers to the diagram of the nephron

For items 7- 10, match the corresponding letters on the diagram to the correct statements
7. Where ultrafiltration takes place
Answer: B
Ultrafiltration occurs at the barrier between the blood and filtrate in the Bowman’s capsule
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

8. Where most glucose is reabsorbed into the blood

Answer: A
All glucose is reabsorbed by active transport in the proximal convoluted tubule
9. Where most water is reabsorbed into the blood
Answer: C
The filtrate flows through the loop of Henle and is reabsorbed into the blood capillaries.
10. Where ADH affects the tubule permeability
Answer: D
ADH allows the tubules to take back water into the blood so it remains at a constant
composition

11. Competitive swimmers drink cool water at regular intervals during training to

I. Reduce heat lost from their bodies

II. Replace water lost by sweating
III. Help their body temperature to remain steady
A) I and II only
B) I and III only
C) II and III only
D) I, II and III
Answer: D
Drinking cool liquids, such as water, can help reduce body temperature by cooling the body
internally.

12. Which pf the following tasks are performed by the kidneys?

I. Elimination of toxins
II. Getting rid of all metabolic waste
III. Maintaining blood composition
A) I only
B) II only
C) I and III only
D) I, II and III
Answer: C
The kidney is not the only organ responsible for getting rid of metabolic waste. Other excretory
organs include lungs, skin etc.
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

13. The functions of the skin in human beings is that it

I. Excretes sweat
II. Protects from injury
III. Regulates body temperature

A) I and II only
B) I and III only
C) II and III only
D) I, II and III
Answer: D
The skin is an organ made up of different layers and structures, which are all suited to carry out
specific functions.
14. The substance that is responsible for reducing blood sugar in the human body is
A) Adrenalin
B) Insulin
C) Glucagon
D) Glycogen
Answer: B
Insulin is released when glucose level is high, causing muscle and adipose tissue to absorb more
glucose and allows the liver to convert glucose to glycogen

15. When the surrounding temperature of the environment drops, which of the following actions
occur to the body?
A) Blood vessels dilate
B) Blood vessels constrict
C) Hairs on the skin lie flat
D) Blood vessels move closer to the skin
Answer: B
Capillaries of the dermis constrict so blood flow to the skin decreases, heat is retained in blood
vessels deeper in the body
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

16. Although glucose is found in the blood plasma, it does not appear in the urine because of
A) Secretion
B) Osmosis
C) Ultrafiltration
D) Selective reabsorption
Answer: D
Glucose is a small molecule, which is needed by the body, so it is a component of the filtrate as it
moves through the proximal convoluted tubule. Here is where it is reabsorbed into the plasma of
the capillaries.

17. Persons who suffer from kidney diseases are MOST likely to have
A) A decreased concentration of glucose in the blood
B) An increased concentration of glucose in the blood
C) A decreased concentration of urea in the blood
D) An increased concentration of urea in the blood
Answer: D
A person who has kidney disease will have a build-up of toxic compounds that could poison and
kill body cells, since the kidneys are not carrying out their function to filter blood.

18. A person whose kidneys have failed must undergo a process by which excretory materials are
removed from the blood regularly. This is because excretory materials
A) Are not gotten rid of by any other means
B) Would otherwise accumulate and poison the person
C) Raise blood pressure
D) Make the blood concentrated
Answer: B
The kidney is responsible for filtering blood to get rid of metabolic waste. If waste are not gotten
rid of and builds up in the blood, it may become toxic to the body.
19. The ureter is responsible for carrying urine from the
A) Kidney to the bladder
B) Bladder out of the body
C) Collecting tubule to the pelvis
D) Nephron to the collecting tubule
Answer: A
The ureters are narrow tubes which carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder for temporary
storage
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

20. Which of the following is a long-term effect of alcohol abuse?

A) Slurring of speech
B) Increased urination
C) Cirrhosis of the liver
D) Dilation of blood vessels
Answer: C
Alcohol changes the chemicals that break down and remove scar tissue. Scar tissue replaces
normal cells causing the liver work inadequately.

Items 21- 22 refers to the following diagram of a mammalian kidney

21. Urine is entered in the structure labelled

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
Answer: C
The pelvis acts like a funnel, collecting the urine produced in the kidney, leading it to the ureter.

22. The loop of Henle is located in the part labelled

A) I
B) II
C) III
D) IV
Answer: B
The loop of Henle is located in the Medulla of the kidney.
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

23. Excretion is important in living organisms because metabolic waste products

A) Cannot be stored
B) Decay very readily
C) Are very soluble substances
D) Can poison living organisms
Answer: D
The build-up of metabolic waste in the body can become toxic or poisonous

Item 24 refers to the stages of urine formation

I. Selective reabsorption of useful substances takes place in tubules
II. Water Is added or removed to the collecting ducts from the loop of Henle
III. Ultrafiltration occurs in the capsule
IV. Urine passes to the pelvis and ureter

24. Which of the following shows the correct sequence of the stages above?
A) IV, II, I and III
B) I, III, II and IV
C) III, I, IV and II
D) III, I, II and IV
Answer: D
The nephrons of the kidneys process blood and create urine through a process of filtration,
reabsorption and secretion
25. Which of the following is NOT excreted through the skin?
A) Urea
B) Salts
C) Carbon dioxide
D) Water
Answer: C
Carbon dioxide is excreted from the lungs as you exhale.

26. The following reactions all take place in the skin

I. Blood vessels dilate and constrict
II. Glands produce sweat
III. Hair erector muscles contract
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

These functions relate to the skin’s role as an organ for

A) Mechanical protection only
B) Body temperature control only
C) Both body temperature control and sensitivity to the surroundings
D) Mechanical protection, body temperature control and sensitivity to the surroundings
Answer: C
These reactions take place when there is change in temperature of the surrounding, thus
controls body temperature

Items 26- 27 refers to the following information

The table below gives the glucose content of 5cm3 samples of blood taken from ten adult patients
who were having this test done for the first time. Patients were requested not to eat for 12 hours
prior to the collection of the sample. The results confirmed that two patients had high blood
glucose levels, while the other patients were considered within normal limits.

Blood glucose content Patien Blood glucose content

Patient (mmol/litre) t (mmol/litre)
1 4 6 18
2 6.5 7 6
3 11.5 8 6.5
4 3.5 9 4
5 5 10 5.2

27. The normal range of blood glucose level is MOST likely

A) 3.5 to 18.0
B) 3.5 to 11.5
C) 3.5 to 6.5
D) 3.5 to 4.0
Answer: C
The data given states that all other patients have normal blood glucose, except for two

28. The two patients MOST likely suffering from diabetes (high blood glucose) are
A) 3 and 8
B) 3 and 6
C) 2 and 6
D) 2 and 3
Biology Questions Topic: Excretion in Humans

Answer: B
A reading of more than 11.1 mmol/L indicate high blood glucose.
29. Blood is transported to the kidney via the
A) Renal vein
B) Renal artery
C) Carotid artery
D) Pulmonary artery
Answer: B
Renal arteries carry unfiltered blood from the aorta to the kidneys.
Item 30 refers to the following diagram of part of the proximal convoluted tubule of a person
suffering from diabetes mellitus

30. The filtrate leaving the tubule MOST likely contains

A) No glucose
B) Some glucose
C) Less water than the filtrate at 1
D) More water than the filtrate at 1
Answer: B
In a normal person, glucose molecules are reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule,
however, in a person suffering from diabetes mellitus all the glucose will not be reabsorbed, thus
some will leave with the filtrate.