J

Excretion
Definition:
removal from the, body (of)
• poisons / toxins / harmful substances
• waste products of metabolism
• substances in excess (of requirements)

Excretory organs / glands Products excreted

Skin / Sweat glands urea and excess water and salts
Liver Urea, bile pigments, toxins from drugs
Kidneys urea and excess water and salts
Lungs carbon dioxide

Deamination
Definition: the removal of the nitrogen-containing part of amino acids to form urea

Process:
• Amino groups of excess amino acids removed and converted to ammonia
• Ammonia is toxic / harmful to the body so converted to urea. This is carried to the
kidneys [by blood] for excretion.
• The rest of the amino acid molecule is converted into carbohydrates and stored or
respired.
• some amino acids are used to make proteins e.g. fibrinogen.

Role of the liver in excretion:

• deamination of amino acids to produce urea which passes into blood.
• breakdown of, hormones / toxins / drugs / excess vitamins.
• breakdown of, worn out red blood cells to form bile pigments.

Role of the kidney:

• Filters [ultrafiltration of] blood plasma in the glomerulus.
• followed by reabsorption of all glucose and most water and salts
• removes / excretes nitrogenous waste; e.g. urea, excess salts, excess water and spent
hormones.

Ultrafiltration:
• Products filtered due to high pressure:
• Created because the afferent arteriole has a wider lumen than the efferent.

• Filtered from: Glomerulus / glomerular capillaries

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 • Filtered into: Renal capsule / Bowman’s capsule

• Plasma constituents not filtered out: Plasma proteins and blood cells as they are too
big to pass through the pores of the glomerular capillaries.

• Glomerular filtrate contains:

o Water
o Salts /Ions
o Urea
o Glucose
o Toxins, spent hormones etc.

Selective Reabsorption:
• What is reabsorbed?
• All glucose
• Most water
• Most salts

• From where? Lumen of kidney tubule [PCT, Loop of Henle and DCT]

• Into where? Blood in capillaries surrounding the kidney tubule. These capillaries join
the renal vein.

The volume and concentration of urine produced is affected by:

• water intake
• temperature
• exercise

more water intake leads to more excess water

volume of urine increases
concentration decreases

hot temperatures
dehydration leads to less excess water
volume of urine will decrease

concentration increases

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Dialysis

• Blood taken from the arm of the patient flows into the machine.
• Usually radial vein – easier to find / superficial and has low pressure blood.

• Blood flows into a dialysis tubing, made of partially permeable membrane.

• Dialysis fluid flows around the tubing and contains:

• Glucose, water and salts - same concentration as (should be) in blood
• No urea
• Blood and dialysis fluid move in countercurrent direction – makes diffusion faster.
• All urea and excess salts diffuse from blood into dialysis fluid.
• Excess water moves by osmosis from blood into dialysis fluid.
• No net loss of glucose.
• Dialysis fluid is continually refreshed to maintain concentration gradient.
• Blood is returned to the vein in the hand of patient.

Disadvantages of dialysis:
• Patients need to visit hospitals multiple times a week for dialysis – time consuming and
inconvenient.
• Patients will have to be on a restricted diet.
• Quality of life affected.

Kidney transplants.
advantages
1. patients do not need to return to clinic for dialysis
2. Patients do not need to eat a restricted diet
3. No long term discomfort / pain.
4. periods of feeling unwell reduced / absent . Or quality of life improved.
disadvantages
1. rejection of kidney
2. finding a compatible donor
3. need, immunosuppressant drugs throughout life
4. risk of death / infection, during / after, the operation

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 Renal arteriole capillears Glomuser
AFFERENT
Artery

AfferentRenalartery
Glomerulus

Bowman's
capsule c efferent
arteriole

Renaltubule
venule
leadingto
vein

collecting duct

loop ofheute c

cortex
ofmedulla

Renalartery medulla

Renalvein
Renalartery
renalvein
venacavabigger

ureter ureter

NEPHRON Functional unit of a kidney urethra splintermuscles

makes urine
converts urea to urine