Excretion

What is the difference between

Excretion and Elimination?
• Elimination of unabsorbed and undigested
food in the form of feces.
– These materials have never entered the body
cells, therefore they are NOT metabolic
waste.
 Metabolic Waste:
• CO2, water (respiration)
• Nitrogen Compounds: ammonia, urea, uric
acid, (breakdown amino acid)
• Mineral salts: sodium chloride, potassium
sulfate (metabolism)
• All of these waste products are poisonous in
excess.
Human Excretory System
Metabolic wastes:
• CO2
• Urea
• Water
• Mineral Salts
 Organs of Excretion
1. Lungs
2. Kidneys
3. Liver
4. Skin
 The Liver

• Regulates the makeup of body fluid

• Detoxification: Liver detoxifies the blood
• Removes harmful substances: bacteria, certain
drugs, hormones, from the blood
• Liver changes these substances into less harmful
ones
• Inactive forms are returned to the blood and
excreted via the kidneys
 Overworked liver….
• Alcohol causes Cirrhosis.
– liver becomes overgrown with excess tissue
– excess tissue cuts down blood flow
– limits amount of detoxification it can perform
– lead to death
 The Liver
• Bile is made by the liver.
– Contains bile salts, cholesterol,
part of hemoglobin (worn out
RBC).
– Some of these products are
metabolic waste.
 Bile Cycle
• Bile collects in gallbladder.
• Passes into small intestine.
• Emulsifies of fats
• Bile salts are reabsorbed from small intestine
into the blood
• Return to liver
• (recycling!)
• The rest of bile excreted through large intestine
 Liver not working right…
• Jaundice:
– when bile is NOT excreted properly.
Reabsorbed hemoglobin fragments in blood
cause skin to yellow.
 Formation of Urea
• Amino acids are the
breakdown products
of proteins. We can
not store excess
protein.
• Breakdown occurs in
the liver.
 From each amino acid:
• The amino group (NH2) is changed to
Ammonia (NH3), then to Urea (much less
harmful).
• Urea diffuses into blood stream to the
kidneys.
• Kidneys filter the urea and excrete as
urine.
• Remainder of amino acid is changed to
either: pyruvic acid, glycogen, or fat.
 Urinary System
• Kidneys (2)
• Bladder
• Urethra
 Kidneys:
• Bean shaped
• Located in posterior aspect of
abdomen, just below the
diaphragm.
• Functions:
– Remove waste of cellular
metabolism from the blood
– Regulate the concentrations of
the substances found in body
fluids including water, salts
– Maintain homeostasis
Structure of Kidneys
• Cortex:
– outer part
– Blood is filtered
• Medulla:
– middle part
– Made of tubes called collecting ducts
– Carry filtered substances & filtrate to pelvis
• Pelvis: inner region
– Cavity connected to the ureter
– Urine formed from filtrate drains from pelvis into
ureter
• Nephrons
– Kidney contains1.25 million nephrons
– Filters waste from the blood
– Part is in cortex, remainder is in medulla
Nephron
 Parts of Nephron
1. Glomerulus: a group
of capillaries that form
a tight ball.
2. Bowman’s capsule:
a double walled cup
shaped structure
surrounding the
glomerulus
Filtration at Bowman’s Capsule
• Pressure pushes out “filtrate”
• Large substances (Proteins, cells, etc) do
not enter Bowman’s capsule
• Filtrate includes: water, urea, glucose,
amino acids, and various salts (like
plasma! Just without the protein)
• Filtrate moves in Proximal Renal Tubule
 Parts of Nephron
3. Proximal Renal Tubule:

NaCl,H2O,Glucose,
Potassium
Reabsorption
 Parts of Nephron
4. Loop of Henle:
middle section that
forms a long loop
• Water reabsorption
with help of salt
pumping
• Extends into the
medulla region of
Kidney
• Filtrate enters distal
renal tubule
 Parts of Nephron
5. Distal Convoluted Tubule
• H2O and Sodium reabsorption
 Parts of Nephron
6. Collecting Duct
• Some urea
reabsorption
• More H2O
reabsorption
• Many collecting ducts
fuse
• Urine exits out Ureter
of Kidney
• Site of ADH action
 Kidney Threshold Level
• If the concentration of a substance in the
blood is greater than a certain level: it is not
reabsorbed.
• The excess remains in the Urine
 Imbalance in Homeostasis
• Blood sugar level of a person who has
diabetes is so high that not all the glucose in
the filtrate can return to the blood.
• Glucose in the Urine.
 Urine:
• The fluid remaining in the tubules: water,
urea, various salts
• Substances that crystallize out of the
Urine: kidney stones
• Dialysis
 Ureters
• Bring urine
to urinary
bladder
• Urine exits
through
urethra
 Lungs:
• Lungs are considered part of the excretory
system because they get rid of C02 and
water (vapor)
 Skin
Excretes small amount
of urea and salts in
sweat
 Skin
• Structure:
• Two Layers:
1. Epidermis
2. Dermis
 Epidermis: outer layer
• Tightly packed epithelial cells.
• Deepest portion is rapidly
dividing.
• As they push farther and farther
from Dermis, they received less
and less nourishment.
• Before dying, they produce
Keratin: tough water proof protein
• Wears away, replaced by new
cells.
• Protects Dermis.
 Dermis
• Made of elastic connective tissue
• Binds to the muscle and bone beneath it.
• Contains: blood vessels, lymph vessels,
nerves, sense receptors, sebaceous glands,
sweat glands, hair follicles.
 Sebaceous Glands
• Produce oily secretions that provide a
protective coating to the skin and hair
keeping them soft and pliable
 Sweat Glands
• Made of coiled tubes that open to
the surface through pores.
• Sweat is released through these
pores
 Subcutaneous Layer
• Adipose ( fat-storing) Cells
 Heat Loss:
• Blood vessels in the skin
open wider
• Increases the blood flow
through the skin’s capillaries
(flush)
• Allows more heat to be
given off to the air
• Sweat begins to evaporate:
cooling the body
 Heat Retained:
• blood vessels in the skin narrow
• body sweats less