Kidneys and

Excretion

Biology
 Excretion & kidney function
Objectives:
Key Words:
Metabolism Define excretion as the removal from
Urea organisms of toxic materials and the
function of the kidneys
Kidneys Outcomes:
Renal arteries
D: Define excretion
Bladder
B-C:
Urethra -Discuss the removal of urea and
Ureter excess water
A:
Renal vein Explain the function of the kidneys in
Egested removal of waste & reabsorption of
Excreted glucose & salts
 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 by the body - faeces!
• It is egested (the removal of
undigested food)
 What Materials are Excreted?
• Carbon dioxide is made from respiration.
• Excess proteins or amino acids are broken
down to produce a nitrogen waste called
urea.
• Heat is constantly made by respiration.
• Water is made from respiration.
 Soluble vitamins
Nitrogen waste

Mineral salts Excretory

Products

Bile salts and Excess water

pigments
Carbon dioxide
and water
• 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.
• Your lungs excrete carbon dioxide and
water as you breathe out.
• Your skin sheds excess salt through
sweat.
 Vena
cava Aorta

Renal
artery

Renal vein
Kidney

Ureter

Bladder

Urethra
• You have two kidneys.
• Each receives blood
from the renal artery.
• Kidneys act like filters,
removing urea.
• The urea is diluted
with water and is
called urine.
• Urine is sent to the
bladder for storage via
the ureter.
• Once the bladder fills
the urine passes out
the urethra.
• Any sugar that enters
the kidneys is
reabsorbed (saved), Vein Artery
as are some salts. Kidney
• The amount of water
Ureter
in the urine is
adjusted to suit body’s
needs. Bladder
Urethra
 Filtered blood leaves the
kidney through renal vein

Blood enters the kidney

from renal artery

Urine leaves kidney Nephron – the filter

through ureter
 Kidneys
Objectives:
Key Words:
Metabolism Outline the structure of a kidney and
Urea outline the structure and functioning
Kidneys of a kidney tubule
Renal arteries Outcomes:
Bladder
D: describe the function of the kidneys
Urthera
Ureter B-C: explain the structure of a kidney
Renal vein A: outline and explain the structure and
function of kidneys and kidney tubules
 Structure of Kidney
• Each kidney has four parts:
• Cortex – the outer layer jammed pack full of
filters called nephrons. Filters the blood.
• Medulla – the middle layer which has the
tubes carrying filtered wastes to the centre
of the kidney. Contains Loop of Henle
• Pelvis – area where all collecting ducts
come together and connect with ureter.
• Ureter – transports urine to the bladder.
 Pelvis

Renal
artery
Medulla

Renal
vein
Ureter
Cortex
 There are roughly one million
nephrons in each kidney.

Cortex
Nephron

R. vein
Renal artery
Ureter
The unit of a kidney is the
nephron – it carries out
filtering and reabsorption. Medulla
Blood is
filtered in the
renal capsule

Reabsorption
of useful
Water levels of
substances
urine adjusted

To bladder
 Renal artery

Glomerulus

Bowman’s capsule
Distal
• Blood arrives
Capillaries from the renal artery.
off renal convoluted
tubule
• Blood
artery
enters a ball of capillaries called Glomerulus.
• Theses capillaries
Proximal convoluted sit in a filter called the Bowman’s
tubule
or renal capsule.
• Small molecules leave the capillary and enter the
capsule – glucose, amino acids, salts, urea and
Loop of Henle Urine collecting duct
water.
 Renal artery
• The filtered blood
moves down the
nephron.
• In the convoluted
Glomerulus tubule cells reabsorb
Bowman’s capsule
the good stuff –
glucose, aminoDistalacids,
Capillaries off renal most salt andconvoluted
water.
artery tubule
• The rest – water and
urea – moves on
Convoluted or
kidney tubule through the nephron.

Urine collecting duct

• As the urine moves
on more water is
saved in the loop of
Henle and collecting
duct Glomerulus
• This adjusts water
loss to suitcapsule
Bowman’s the level of
water in the body. Convoluted
tubule

Loop of Henle Urine collecting duct

 Renal artery

Glomerulus

Bowman’s capsule
Distal
Capillaries off renal convoluted
artery tubule

Proximal convoluted tubule

Loop of Henle Urine collecting duct

• Renal artery: brings blood to the kidneys
Contains waste products.
• Renal Vein: takes blood away from the kidneys.
Purified blood
• Convoluted Tubules: reabsorption of useful
substances happens here; including Glucose,
most water and some salts
• Bowman’s Capsule: This is where filtration
takes place. The filtrate contains useable &
waste products
• Collecting duct: collects urine from nephrons
and transports it to the pelvis
 Practice
• Draw the diagrams I draw on the board
into your books
 Waste!
Objectives:
Key Words:
Urine Discuss urine and kidney failure
Urea
Outcomes:
Dialysis
Transplants D: Recall the composition of urine
Deamination
B-C: State that urea is formed in the
liver from excess amino acids

A: Explain dialysis in terms of

maintenance and its application as
well as its advantages and
disadvantages of compared to kidney
transplants
Composition of Urine
(what its made of)

• Water
• Urea
• NaCl (sodium chloride)
• KCl (potassium chloride)
 Formation of Urea
• Excess amino acids cannot be stored in the
body.
• The liver breaks down nitrogenous
compounds (amino acids mostly).
• This is called deamination.
• This produces urea which must be
removed from the body.
 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
 Breakdown in the Liver
• Liver breaks down old red blood cells.
• Alcohol, other drugs and hormones are also
broken down by the liver – this is called
detoxification.
• Prolonged use of alcohol or drugs like
paracetamol can lead to liver failure.
• Liver also makes bile which is temporarily
stored in the gall bladder. Bile is broken
down and added to faeces.
 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.
 Kidney disease (2)

• 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.
 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.
 Artery

Vein

Blood in
Blood out

Dialysis fluid

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.
• 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.
 Advantages of Transplants

• Have a normal lifestyle as no dialysis.

• Dialysis takes several hours in hospital
three times a week and makes a person
very tired.
• Dialysis machines are expensive.
Disadvantages of Transplants

• A good tissue match is needed for the

donor kidney to reduce rejection.
• Very expensive operation.
• Risk of rejection of the donor kidney so
immunosuppressant drugs must be taken
daily.
• Some religions do not allow transplants.
 b r ea k d ow n:
Li ve r
• The liver breaks down alcohol, drugs and
hormones
• Too much alcohol over a long period will
damage the liver
• Drugs such as tranquillisers, pain killers &
illegal drugs will also damage the liver
• Hormones are continually produced in the
body & to prevent a build up of these, the
Liver breaks them down
 Important Liver Functions:
• Converts excess amino acids into urea –
through digestion
• Controls the amount of glucose in blood,
with the help of the hormone Insulin
• Stores excess carbohydrates as Glycogen
• Makes bile