Unit 6.

The excretory system

Excretory Organs

Activity 1. The circle of life

What does blood make you think of? Horror movies, vampires, wars?
It’s flowing around your body all the time. But what is it for?
It's a big name for one of the most important systems in the body. Made up of the heart,
blood and blood vessels, the circulatory system is your body's delivery system. Blood
moving from the heart, delivers oxygen and nutrients to every part of the body. On the
return trip, the blood picks up waste products so that your body can get rid of them.
Your already know that the cells of your body need nutrients and oxygen to give you
energy in respiration. Your cells make waste chemicals too. Your kidneys get rid of
these waste chemicals.
Look at the diagram and answer the questions:

a) What does blood collect when it

is here?

b) What does blood collect when it

is here?

c) What does blood drop off here?

d) Name 2 things blood drops off here and that the cells use to live.

e) What does blood take away from the cells?

f) What does blood drop off at the kidneys?

g) What keeps blood moving round and round?

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So your blood carries many things around your body. It is rather like a railway system,
where trains pick things up at one place and deliver them to another.
How do you think blood is kept on the move? Yes, thanks to the heart!

Vocabulary
Collect = Recollir/recoger.
Deliver = Repartir.
Drop off = Deixa/Dejar.
Keep on the move= Mantenir-se en movement/mantenerse en movimiento.
Pick up = Recollir/recoger.
Railway system= Sistema ferroviari/Sistema ferroviario.
Rather like = Se sembla força/Se parece bastante.

Activity 2. Label the picture of the urinary system using the following words

renal artery

kidney

pelvis

cortex
aorta artery
medulla
inferior vena cava
renal vein
ureter

urinary bladder

urethra

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Activity 3. Excretory system crossword

1 2

U B L A D D E R
3 4

R N L
O
I E
C P O
H D
5 6

R S K I N
O I
7 8

L U N G S D
9

N U
10

L E R
11

U R I N A R Y E
12

V S T
E E
13

R U R E T H R A

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Activity 4 Label the kidney cross section using the following words:

renal capsule

cortex

medulla

calyces

renal artery

renal vein

renal pelvis

ureter

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Activity 5. The excretory system: nephrons

Use the following words to fill in the missing spaces of the following paragraphs.
Some words will be used more than once.
veins water (3) urea (2) capillaries glucose minerals Bowman's (2)
glomerulus (2) red blood cells white blood cells proteins urine salts renal tubula

Within each kidney are an estimated one

million microscopic nephrons. Filtering
of the blood takes place within these
areas. Each nephron contains a cluster of
CAPILLARIES called a
GLOMERULUS. A cup-shaped sac
called a BOWMAN’S capsule surrounds
each GLOMERULUS. The blood that
flows through the GLOMERULUS is
under great pressure. This causes
GLOMERULUS, WATER,
GLUCOSE and UREA to enter into the
BOWMANS capsule. WHITE BLOOD
CELLS, RED BLOOD CELLS AND
PROTEINS remain in the blood
As the blood continues through the blood
vessels, it winds around the RENAL TUBULA During this time, reabsorption occurs.
Glucose and chemicals, such as potassium, sodium, hydrogen, magnesium and calcium,
are reabsorbed into the blood. Almost all the WATER removed during filtration returns
to the blood during the reabsorption phase. The kidneys control the amount of liquid in
our bodies.Now only wastes are in the nephron. These wastes are called URINE and
include WATER, UREA and inorganic SALTS The cleansed blood goes into VEINS
that carry the blood from the kidneys and back to the heart.

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Activity 6. Quiz on urinary system 1

Match both columns:

1. Name the tubes that drain urine from a. Renal Pelvis

the kidneys to the urinary bladder:
2. What is the outer portion of the kidney b. Renal Medulla
called where nephrons filter the blood?
3. Main organs of the urinary system that c. Ureters
filter wastes from the blood, maintain
water and pH balance:
4. Name the hollow, muscular sac that d. Urinary Bladder
holds and stores urine until elimination:
5. Name the tube that carries urine from e. Nephrons
the bladder to the outside of the body:
6. What is the innermost part of the f. Urethra
kidney called where nephrons maintain
salt and water balance?
7. Name the tiny units inside the kidneys g. Renal Cortex
that really do the filtration, reabsorption
and excretion.
8. What is the funnel-like part of the h. Kidneys
kidney called that collects and drains urine
to the ureter?

Answers: 1 c 2 g 3 h 4 d 5 f 6 b 7 e 8 a

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Activity 7. Quiz on urinary system 2

Match both columns:

1. The term ………………generally a. Electrolyte and water

refers to something related to the kidneys.

2. Our kidneys play a vital role in b. Urine

maintaining the ………………. balance in
the body.

3. There are over one c. Renal

million ……………… in each of our
kidneys.

4. The …………….. muscle of urethra d. Urea

needs to relax for urination to occur.

5. The fluid containing dissolved waste e. Blood

substances excreted by the kidney is
called:

6. Name the major nitrogenous waste f. Internal Sphincter

product that is excreted in the urine:

7. A nephron has two main parts: g. Glomerulus

the ……………. And the renal tubule.

8. The kidneys clean the ………………. h. Nephrons

of the main waste products.

Answers: 1 c 2 a 3 h 4 f 5 b 6 d 7 g 8 e

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Activity 8. Quiz on urinary system 3

Match both columns:

1. A nephron has two main parts: the a. Blood Pressure

glomerulus and the .........................

2. The ................ carry blood away from b. Blood Cells

the kidneys after filtration.

3. The medical specialty that primarily c. Renal Veins

deals with diseases of the kidney:

4. What component of the blood is not d. Nephrology

found in the urine of a healthy person?

5. Name the artificial filtering system e. Renal Arteries

that is used when kidneys are severely
diseased:

6. The medical specialty that deals with f. Dialisis

problems of the urinary system and
male reproductive system:

7. The …………… bring blood to the g. Urology

kidneys for filtration.

8. Our kidneys play a vital role in h. Renal Tubule

regulating the …………….. in our body.

Answers: 1 h 2 c 3 d 4 b 5 f 6 g 7 e 8 a

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 Expelling waste products (urine)
Filtering blood
from the body

Which job is

URINARY SYSTEM

Is made up of

Kidneys Urinary tracts

are made up of Which parts are

Nephrons Ureter Urinary bladder Urethra

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EXCRETORY SYSTEM SELF-ASSESSMENT Read and write a cross
YES NO NOT
☺  YET
Label the urinary system parts x
Explain the function of the urinary x
system.
Establish the relations between the x
I CAN ... excretory system and the other
nutrition systems.
Explain the functions of the urinary x
system parts

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