Excretory

system
Waste disposal

∙ Learning intention
∙ Understand how human body gets rid of the waste

∙ Success criteria
∙ Explain the functions of the main components in the
excretory system
Defecation and excretion

∙ Defecation: Digestive system absorbs any nutrients that your

body will use. Anything that can't be used is passed from the
anus as faeces through the process of defecation.

∙ Excretion: process of getting rid of wastes your body has

produced itself. The lungs, liver, skin and kidneys are involved
in excretion so they all belong to the excretory system.
 Lungs
∙ Part of two body systems
∙ Respiration system
∙ Excretory system: breathe
out waste products such as
carbon dioxide and water
from the lung
 Liver
∙ Breaks down amino acids, removes poisonous
substances and breaks down old red blood cells.
1. Amino acids --> From protein digestion, can't
be stored, have more than needed
Liver breaks amino acids down into a substance
called urea
2. Poisonous substances may enter the body from
the digestive tract and are carried to the liver,
where they are broken down to into harmless
substances. (then return to the blood -> kidney)
3. Breaks down old red blood cells. Any unwanted
haemoglobin is added to bile and passes with the
bile into the intestines.
 Skin
∙ Helps heat to leave your body
∙ Heat is a by-product of chemical reactions
in your body.
∙ Some of the heat is needed to
maintain your core body temperature (37
degrees)
∙ Excess heat is released through your skin
by sweating
∙ Could be fatal if excess heat is not
released
∙ Sweat contains a very small amount of
urea
 Kidney

∙ They are two bean-shaped organs

about the size of a fist
∙ If you place your hands on your
hips with your thumbs to the
back, then your thumbs will be
sitting over your kidney
∙ The kidneys are filters that
process about 50 litres of
blood/hour
Function of the kidneys
∙ 1. They excrete urea, a waste product
from the digestion of proteins
∙ 2. They control salt levels in the
blood. Excess salt is removed by the
kidneys and is excreted with the
urine. This is important because too
much or too little salt in the blood
prevents cells from working correctly
∙ 3. They control the level of water in
the body. You can tell if you are
drinking enough water by the colour
of your urine.
Extension: Nephron
∙ A nephron is the basic structural and
functional unit of the kidney.
∙ They are the microscopic structure composed
of a renal corpuscle and a renal tubule.
∙ The word nephron is derived from the Greek
word – nephros, meaning kidney.
∙ There are about millions of nephrons in each
human kidney.
∙ The nephrons work through a two-step
process: the glomerulus filters your blood, and
the tubule returns needed substances to your
blood and removes wastes.
 Urine
∙ Urine is the waste material
that has been filtered out of
the blood by the kidneys.
∙ On average, 95% water and
5% urea, with small amounts
of pigment
∙ The pigment comes from the
breakdown of haemoglobin
and gives the urine yellow
colour
The smell of urine can change depending on the
food consumed
∙ The asparagusic acid in asparagus produces many sulfurous
byproducts that give your pee a rotten-like smell. The smell
can be detected as early as 15 minutes after eating asparagus
and may last up to 14 hours.
 The urinary tract
∙ Urine passes from the kidneys down
narrow tubes called ureters and into
the bladder.
∙ Bladder is a muscular bag. Can
expand to hold 500 mL of urine.
∙ About 300 mL is enough to trigger the
urge to urinate (less than a can of soft
drink)
∙ The urethra is a tube that carries the
urine to the outside of the body.
∙ At the end of the urethra is a sphincter
muscle that controls the emptying of
the bladder
 Kidney diseases:
High blood pressure
∙ Your blood travels a relatively short
distance from the heart to your
kidneys
∙ Very little pressure from the
heartbeat is lost. So blood entering
the kidneys is under pressure
∙ The pressure helps the filtering
process carried out by the kidneys
∙ However, abnormally high blood
pressure can easily damage the
capillaries where the blood is filter,
which affects the functioning of the
kidneys
 Kidney stones
∙ Chemicals normally present in the urine combine to form hard
crystals.
∙ If they are small enough, the crystals will pass out of the
kidneys with the urine
∙ Large stones can block the fine tubes within the kidney,
causing pain and preventing the flow of urine.
∙ Operation: ultrasound waves, shatter big pieces into tiny pieces
that can naturally pass through the body
∙ Prevention: drink enough water to product about 2 L of urine
per day
∙ Possible causes include drinking too little water, exercise (too
much or too little), obesity, weight loss surgery, or eating food
with too much salt or sugar. Infections and family history
might be important in some people.
 Infections

∙ The structure of the urinary tract prevents any backflow of urine

from the bladder, and this reduces the chance of infections of the
kidneys.
∙ Infections of the urinary tract are caused by bacteria Escherichia
coli (E. coli)
∙ A common bacteria in the digestive system spreads to the urethra
from the anus
Extension
3.4 Review question 1-15
∙ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5qaGHfdmYM

∙ WS 3.8