Excretory

System
Excretion
This is the process of removing
wastes and excess water from the body. It is
one of the major ways the body maintains
homeostasis.
Excretory wastes

1. Respiratory waste products

2. Nitrogenous waste products
3. Bile pigments
Respiratory Waste Products
Carbon dioxide and water are the waste
products of catabolism (breakdown) of all kinds of
complex food molecules. These waste products are
excreted by animals in many ways. In many lower
animals, Carbon dioxide is eliminated by diffusion
through the body surface directly into the environment.
In humans, CO2 is excreted, along with water vapor,
from the lungs when they exhale.
Nitrogenous waste product

Nitrogen – containing waste products are

derived from the deamination of the excess amino-
acids consumed in food and also from the
breakdown of proteins and nucleic acids
Bile Pigments
The liver changes the decomposed
hemoglobin of worn out red blood cells into bile
pigments called bilirubin and biliverdin. These
pigments are passed into the alimentary canal with
the bile for elimination. The liver also excretes
cholesterol, steroid hormones, certain vitamins
and drugs through the bile.
The following are the nitrogenous waste products
produced by animals:
•Ammonia
•Urea
•Uric acid
•Amino acids
 Aquatic animals e.g. fish,
usually excrete ammonia
directly into the external
environment, because this
compound is highly soluble and

Ammoni there is ample water available in

an aquatic environment for its
dilution. In lower animals like

a mollusks (e.g. snails, slugs) and

echinoderms (e.g. starfish, sea
eggs) the excess amino acid gets
removed without undergoing
any change.
 Skin plays an important role
in excretion in humans. It
has two types of glands:
•sebaceous glands that
excrete lipids; •sweat glands
that excrete cellular
Urea/Uric metabolic wastes such as
water containing salts, urea
acid via skin and lactic acid. This aids in
osmoregulation
 In higher animals, ammonia
undergoes deamination mainly in
the liver and forms a less toxic
substance called urea which is
periodically flushed out of the
system of the animal. Humans
eliminate nitrogenous waste as

Urea urea formed during deamination

in the liver mainly, but it can also
occur in the kidneys.
Primary Excretory
Organs
 • Bean-shaped organs of a
reddish brown color.
Kidneys
• Found in the sides of the
vertebral column.
Main Function: filters the
wastes, including urea, salt,
and excess water, which are
flushed out of the body as
urine.
Importance of Kidneys
 Excretion of wastes  Blood Pressure
 Filtration, Reabsorption Homeostasis
and Secretion  Hormones
 Water Homeostasis
 Acid/Base Homeostasis
 Electrolyte Homeostasis
The Kidneys collect and get rid o
waste in THREE ways:
Glomerular filtration – Filtrate is made as the blood is filtered
through a collection of capillaries in the nephron called
glomeruli.
Tubular reabsorption – The tubules in the nephrons reabsorb
the filtered blood in nearby blood vessels.
Tubular secretion – The filtrate passes through the tubules to
the collecting ducts and then taken to the bladder.
Urinary
Bladder
Provides a short term
solution for storing urine
in the body.
•The waste fluid that is created in the liver and collected
in the kidney is transferred into the urinary bladder
where it is temporarily stored until the individual
urinates.

•The urinary bladder provides a short term solution for

storing urine in the body until it is ultimately discharged.
Ureters Tubes of smooth muscle
fiber transfers liquid waste from
the kidneys into the urinary
bladder.
•The ureters tubes of smooth muscle fiber transfer liquid
waste from the kidneys into the urinary bladder. The
urine is moved with peristaltic movements which force
the urine away from the kidneys.

• The ureters also have ureterovesical valves which

ensure the waste fluid does not travel back into the
kidney.
Urethra A carrier of semen as
well as urine for their
ultimate discharge out of the
body.
•The urethra runs through the penis in males, and serves
as a carrier of semen as well as urine for their
ultimate discharge out of the body.

•The urethra tube is shorter in females and is just above

the vaginal opening.
Blood from the
Heart
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Renal Arteries Kidney Ureter

Urethra Bladder
Nephron
anatomy
Glomerulus

each glomerulus is a cluster of blood

capillaries surrounded by a Bowman’s
capsule. It looks similar to a ball of tangled
yarn.
BOwman’s Capsule

Surrounds the glomerulus

Proximal Convoluted tubule

nearest the glomerulus; have permeable

cell membranes that reabsorb glucose, amino
acids, metabolites and electrolytes into nearby
capillaries and allow for circulation of water
Loop of henle
has an ascending and descending limb, these loops
along with their blood vessels and collecting tubes for the
pyramids in the medulla. When the filtrate reaches the
descending limb of the loop, water content has been reduced
by 70%. The filtrate contains high levels of salts (mostly
sodium). As the filtrate moves further through the loop, more
water is removed which further concentrates the filtrate.
Distal Convoluted tubule

farthest from the glomerulus; helps regular

potassium excretion
Collecting duct

collects the filtrate

 Nephron anatomy
Renal Cortex
Bowman’s Capsule Proximal Convulated
Glomerulus (filtrate – water, urea, ions and Tubule
molecules) Organic solutes are reabsorbed

Renal Cortex
Renal Medulla
Distal Convulated Loop of Henle
Tubule

Medulla, center of
Collecting Duct the kidney
Kidney
Structure
Renal Hilus

An indentation near the center of the

concavity of the kidney where the renal vein
and ureter leave the kidney and the renal
artery enters the kidney.
Renal Capsule

Outer membrane that surrounds the

kidney; it is thin but tough and fibrous
Renal Pelvis

basin-like area that collects urine from the

nephrons, it narrows into the upper end of the
ureter
Calyx

extension of the renal pelvis; they

channel urine from the pyramids to the renal
pelvis
Cortex

the outer region of the kidney; extensions

of the cortical tissue, contains about one
million blood filtering nephrons
Nephron

these are the filtration units in the kidneys

Medulla

inner region of the kidney contains 8-12

renal pyramids. The pyramids empty into the
calyx.
Medullary pyramids

formed by the collecting ducts, inner part

of the kidney
ureter

collects filtrate and urine from renal

pelvis and takes it to the bladder for urination
Renal artery
branches off of the aorta bringing waste-filled blood
into the kidney for filtering in the nephrons; the renal artery
is further subdivided into several branches (segmental
artery, interlobar artery, arcuate artery, interlobular artery)
inside the kidney. Each minute, the kidneys receive 20% of
the blood pumped by the heart. Some arteries nourish the
kidney cells themselves.
Renal Vein

removes the filtered blood from the kidneys to

the inferior vena cava
  94%  .25%
Urine
water phosphate
composition
 3.5% urea  .25% sulfate
Urine is made of water, urea,
electrolytes, and other waste  1% sodium*  .15%
products. The exact contents
of urine vary depending on  .5% creatinine
how much fluid and salt you
take in, your environment and chloride*  .1% uric
your health. Some medicines
and drugs are excreted in  .25% acid
urine and can be found in the
urine. potassium*
 •Performs its functions
via sweat glands.
Main Function: produces
sweat that contains salt,
excess oils, water, and
Skin other unnecessary
substances which are then
excreted out of the body
through small pores.
 The skin contains sweat glands that excrete
perspiration through skin pores. Perspiration is made up of
nitrogenous wastes (urea), salts, and water. The skin is also
involved in controlling body temperature. When
perspiration evaporates from the skin, heat is absorbed
from skin cells. This absorption of heat lowers body
temperature, which results in cooling the body.
 •Uses alveoli to
remove the carbon
dioxide from our
blood.
Lungs Main Function: expel
carbon dioxide via
exhalation.
Accessary Excretory System
Organ

•Liver
 The liver is the largest
Liver internal organ in the body. The
liver produces and excretes bile
(a greenish liquid) required for
emulsifying fats. Some of the
bile drains directly into the
duodenum, and some is stored in
the gallbladder.
 plays an important part in keeping the
body clean. Harmful poisons or chemicals that
are either produced in the body or consumed
are broken down and detoxified.
Excretory System of
Frog
FEMALE FROG
MALE FROG
FEMALE AND MALE FROG

•Kidney
•Ureter
•Urinary Bladder
•Cloaca
Kidney

the frog kidneys excrete excess water but also have

adapted to conserve water rather than eliminating it
when they spend time on land.
Regulates blood pressure by removing exces salt from
the blood stream
Paired kidneys are short and roughly oval in shape.
URETER

the ureters serve for the passage of genital

elements as well as urine. So they are
known as urino-genital ducts.
URINARY BLADDER

Frogs have a large bilobed urinary bladder.

a sac that stores urine until it passes out of
the body through the cloaca.
CLOACA

Chamber and outlet into which the

intestinal, urinary, and genital tracts open
When frogs are tadpoles or if they are aquatic
frogs and have an abundance of water, they
produce ammonia and if they do not a lot of access
to water they can produce uric acid. However,
most adult frogs produce urea, a less toxic product
than ammonia that requires more energy.