EXCRETION

EXCRETION
Excretion is the removal of metabolic wastes from the body. Waste
products have to be removed because they toxic if they accumulate in
the body. Defecation (egestion) is not excretion as faeces are
undigested food remnants and not metabolic waste products.
 METABOLISM
Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions occurring in a
cell. Catabolism is the breakdown of larger molecules into smaller
molecules (respiration). Anabolism is the synthesis of larger
molecules from smaller molecules (photosynthesis).
 EXCRETION IN PLANTS
Plants do not have an excretory system. Carbon dioxide, oxygen and
water vapour are metabolic wastes of plants that diffuse out of the
leaf.
Plants also produce calcium oxalate which is an insoluble waste
product. Tannins and resins are stored in leaves, bark, flowers, fruits,
and seeds and are removed when the plants sheds these structures.
 EXCRETION IN HUMANS

The excretory system removes nitrogenous waste and

excess water from the body.
Nitrogenous waste is
produced from the
breakdown of
nitrogen-containing
compounds. The type of
nitrogenous waste in
animals is correlated with
the animal’s habitat.

Urea is produced in the

liver.
EXCRETORY ORGANS
 THE KIDNEY
The kidneys are the major excretory and osmoregulatory organs of
mammals. Osmoregulation is the control of the amount of water in
the blood.
A NEPHRON
ULTRAFILTRATION ❏ High blood pressure in the
glomerulus is created by having
a wide afferent arteriole and a
narrow efferent arteriole.
❏ This forces water, urea, salts,
glucose, amino acids, vitamins,
and hormones into the
Bowman’s capsule. Large
molecules, such as blood cells
and proteins remain in the
blood.
❏ The glomerulus forms extensive
narrow branches, which
increases the surface area
available for filtration.
 SELECTIVE REABSORPTION
In the proximal convoluted tubule, all glucose, amino acids, vitamins, and
hormones, along with most of the mineral ions and water are reabsorbed from
the glomerular filtrate into the blood.
 WATER RETENTION
In the Loop of Henle, water is reabsorbed into the blood capillaries. The longer
the loop of Henle the more water is reabsorbed.
 WATER REABSORPTION
❏ Water and salt are reabsorbed in the
distal convoluted tubule.
❏ Water is also reabsorbed in the
collecting duct.
❏ The reabsorption of water in the distal
convoluted tubule and the collecting
duct is controlled by hormones and
depends on the concentration of
solutes in the blood.
❏ Excess salts, nitrogenous waste
products, excess water, processed
drugs, and poisons from the liver enter
the renal pelvis as urine.
 OSMOREGULATION
The amount of water in blood is controlled by a hormone called
antidiuretic hormone (ADH). ADH is produced in the hypothalamus of the
brain and is stored and released from the pituitary gland. ADH travels in
the blood.

ADH is produced when you Are DeHydrated

 OSMOREGULATION

Excretion and osmoregulation are examples of homeostasis.

Homeostasis is the maintenance of a constant internal
environment in living organisms.
 KIDNEY FAILURE
Kidney diseases are conditions which incapacitate the kidney’s ability to
filter waste products from the blood. The presence of glucose, proteins
and blood cells in urine can be used as an indicator of disease.

❏ The presence of glucose in urine is

a common indicator of diabetes
❏ High quantities of protein in urine
may indicate disease or hormonal
conditions (hCG = pregnancy).
❏ The presence of blood in urine can
indicate a variety of diseases,
including cancer

High blood pressure can cause the capillaries of the glomerulus

to burst, destroying the nephron.
A kidney stone (renal calculus) is a
solid material formed from the
KIDNEY STONES
minerals in urine.

A large kidney stone can block the

ureter, causing painful urination.

Kidney stones may be prevented by

limiting the dietary intake of minerals
which form the stones (e.g. calcium)

One current treatment for kidney

stones involves the use of
ultrasounds. Sound waves are used to
shatter the kidney stones into smaller
fragments.
KIDNEY DIALYSIS
Kidney dialysis involves the
external filtering of blood to
remove metabolic wastes in
patients with kidney failure.

Hemodialysis ensures
continued blood filtering but
does not address the
underlying issue affecting
kidney function. The best
long-term treatment for kidney
failure is a kidney transplant.
THE END : )