Excretory system

 Primary function is the maintenance of the composition, volume, and pressure of the blood
through elimination of some inorganic salts and nitrogenous waste products.

Components of Excretory system

Kidney

 Comes in pair, somewhat flattened bean-shaped organs which lie on either side of the vertebral
column against the posterior abdominal wall.
 Filters the blood
 excretion of urea, inorganic salts, excess water and also some foreign substances.
 Made up of many units called “nephron.”

Nephron - functional unit of the kidney, the structure that produces urine in the process of removing
waste and excess substances from the blood. There are about 1,000,000 nephrons in each human
kidney.

Two main parts of Nephron:

1. Renal Corpuscle: This is the initial filtering component of the nephron and
includes the Bowman's capsule and glomerulus. The glomerulus is a network of
tiny blood vessels where blood is filtered.

2. Renal Tubule: After filtration in the renal corpuscle, the filtrate moves through
the renal tubule, which is further divided into three segments: the proximal
convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle, and the distal convoluted tubule. In this
tubular system, essential substances are reabsorbed into the bloodstream, and
additional waste products are secreted into the tubule for eventual elimination.

Ureters - are muscular tubes that transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Bladder - is a hollow, expandable organ that stores urine until it is voluntarily released during urination.

Urethra - is a duct responsible for conveying urine from the bladder to the external environment,
allowing for its expulsion from the body.

Urine formation- Urine formation involves the processes of glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption,
and tubular secretion within the nephrons of the kidneys, resulting in the production of a concentrated
liquid waste that is ultimately excreted from the body.

Glomerular Filtration: It is the process in the nephron where blood is initially filtered in the renal
corpuscle, allowing water, ions, and small molecules to pass into the renal tubule.

Tubular Reabsorption: This process occurs in the renal tubules, where essential substances such
as water, glucose, and ions are reabsorbed from the filtrate back into the bloodstream to maintain body
homeostasis.
 Tubular Secretion: In the renal tubules, certain substances, including waste products and ions,
are actively transported from the blood into the filtrate, contributing to the final composition of urine
and aiding in the elimination of additional waste from the body.