Excretion in humans

BIOLOGY
What is Excretion?
Excretion is the removal of toxic
materials, the waste products of
metabolism and excess materials.
Metabolism means the chemical
processes going on in the body.
One type of waste is not excreted from the
body - faeces! It is egested (the removal of
undigested food)

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Substances that needed to be excreted

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Substances that needed to be excreted
It is necessary for the body to rid itself of waste
products.
It is also important to regulate the volume and
composition of body fluids.
The excretory systems of the body do this.
All vertebrate animals produce nitrogen waste
(urea) in one form or another. Your kidneys filter
out urea to produce urine, removing nitrogen
waste from your body.
Kidneys also regulate water levels by excreting
different amounts of urine via the renal system.
Your lungs excrete carbon dioxide and water as
you breathe out.
Your skin sheds excess salt through sweat.

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The renal system Kidneys = It produce urine which
contains urea, water and mineral
salts.
Aorta(artery)= “dirty” Blood enters
the kidneys at high pressure via the
aorta
Vena cava(vein) = “clean” blood
leaves the kidneys and enters the vena
cava.
Renal arteries and vain = help to
supply the kidney with blood
Ureters= urine flow down the ureter
into the bladder
Bladder=were urine is stored until the
sphincter muscle is released.
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Urethra = urine flow out of the
bladder, through the urethra to the
Where are the kidneys?

The kidneys are a paired

organ system that are
found at the back of the
abdominal cavity just above
the umbilicus (belly
button!)
They sit either side of the
spinal column just below
the rib line, they are not
protected by the ribs and
can be damaged by a large
impact force applied to the
area such as a kick or
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punch.
Function of the kidneys
The kidneys have a vital role in homeostasis, they control the content of the blood
Kidneys act as filters to “clean the blood”
They perform three main roles

1. Removal of urea from the blood

2.

3. Adjustment of ions in the blood

4.

5. Adjustment of the water content of the blood

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Composition of Urine(what its made of)

Water
Urea
NaCl (sodium chloride)
KCl (potassium chloride)

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 Excess Water:
Water content in blood & body must be kept constant
If not regulated, the cells will take up water by osmosis
– they will eventually swell up, burst and die
When the body excretes a large amount of water the
urine is light in colour & dilute
When the body retains a large amount of water, the
urine is dark & more concentrated

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 Function of the Skin
Although the skins
main function is to
provide a protective
covering, it is also
involved in excretion
Dissolved salt, lactic
acid & urea can exit
the body via sweat
glands

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Kidney disease
Diabetes causes damage to the small blood vessels in
the kidneys.
This process slowly destroys the filters and causes
problems due to build-up of the waste products in
the blood.
The filters start to leak out too much protein into the
urine and this can be the first sign of diabetic kidney
disease.
High blood pressure can also cause kidney damage
itself.
Kidney disease may also result from infection, drugs
and kidney stones while some types may run in the
family.
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Treating kidney failure
1. Kidney dialysis
This is the process of removing waste and excess
fluid from the blood using an artificial kidney
machine that filters or washes the blood.
Blood is collected from a vein in the arm and passes
along a tube that is semi-permeable.
The dialysis solution on the other side of the tube
has no urea so urea passes out of the blood.
Treatment is required three times a week, each
lasting about five hours.

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 Artery

Vein

Blood in

Blood out

Dialysis fluid

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Fresh dialysis fluid Constant temp. Used dialysis fluid
Treating kidney failure
2. Kidney
transplantation
A kidney transplant may
be considered if your
doctor feels that your
general health is good
enough to stand up to
the operation.
You also need drugs to
suppress the immune
system after surgery.
This is needed to stop
rejection of the foreign
tissue.

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 A donor kidney can come from a living person
(usually a blood relative such as a parent, brother,
sister or child).
Or, from someone who has died in hospital and
permission has been given to use their kidneys.
The transplant kidney is placed in the groin. Your
own kidneys are not removed.
After a transplant the person no longer needs
dialysis.

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Disadvantages of Advantages of
Transplants Transplants
A good tissue match is needed
for the donor kidney to reduce Have a normal lifestyle
rejection. as no dialysis.
Very expensive operation. Dialysis takes several
Risk of rejection of the donor hours in hospital three
kidney so immunosuppressant times a week and
drugs must be taken daily. makes a person very
tired.
Some religions do not allow Dialysis machines are
transplants. expensive.

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