Excretion

Excretion is the removal of waste products of metabolism, and or toxic material from the body of an
organism. Single celled organisms can rely on processes like diffusion to help remove substances like
carbon dioxide from their bodies, but multicellular organisms need special organs to do this job for
them.

The main excretory organs are the lungs, skin and kidneys. Fill in the table below:

Excretion Substances to be Excreted Origin of substances in our bodies

Kidney
Lungs
Skin

The diagram below shows a view of the kidneys as they would be seen when viewed from the front
of the human body if other tissues were removed to expose them:

Label the diagram above.

Use the list of structures to match it to the correct function(s) given below:

Renal vein aorta vena cava kidney

Ureter bladder urethra renal artery

a) Takes urine from the kidney to the bladder ……………………………………………………………………

b) Stores urine ……………………………………………………………………
c) Removes urea from the blood ……………………………………………………………………
d) Regulated the amount of water in the blood ……………………………………………………………………
e) Carries urine out of the body ……………………………………………………………………

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THE KIDNEYS

Structure of a kidney nephron

FUNCTIONS OF KIDNEYS

 The blood pressure in the glomerulus causes part of the blood plasma to leak
through the capillary walls into Bowman’s capsule (renal capsule).
 Red blood cells, platelets and the plasma proteins such as fibrinogen are too big to
pass out of the glomerulus.
 The glomerular filtrate consists of mainly water, salts, glucose, urea and uric acid.
 The process by which the glomerular filtrate is filtered out of the blood by the
glomerulus is called ultrafiltration.
 Useful substances from the glomerular filtrate such as glucose, some salts and water
are selectively reabsorbed into blood.
 Most of the water is absorbed by loop of Henle. Research has shown that desert
animals have a longer loop of Henle than aquatic animals which increases the
surface area for absorption of water.
 Metabolic waste products such urea, uric acid, spent hormones, access water and
salts form urine.
 Urine passes down the ureter to the bladder to be stored.

Kidney as an osmoregulator

 Changes in the concentration of the blood are detected by an area in the brain called
HAPOTHALAMUS.
 If the blood passing through the brain is too concentrated the hypothalamus
stimulates the pituitary gland beneath it to secret into the blood a hormone called
antidiuretic hormone (ADH).

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  When this hormone reaches the kidney it causes the kidney tubules to absorb more
water from the glomerular filtrate back into the blood.
 Thus the urine becomes more concentrated and the further loss of water from the
blood is reduced.
 If blood passing through the hypothalamus is too dilute production of ADH from the
pituitary is suppressed (stopped) and less water is absorbed from the glomerular
filtrate.

KIDNEY (DIALYSIS) MACHINE

 First a tube is connected to one of the patient’s veins.

 The blood flows along the tube and into the machine.
 Inside the machine, blood pumped over the surface of a dialysis membrane (visking
tubing). The dialysis membrane separates the patient’s blood from the dialysis fluid.
 Dialysis fluid contains most of the constituents of normal blood plasma such as
glucose and amino acid, in the same concentration as in blood plasma.
 Since there is no concentration gradient between the blood and the dialysis fluid for
glucose and amino acids, there is no diffusion of glucose and amino acids out of the
blood.
 Excess salts, water, urea and uric acid diffuse out of the blood, across the dialysis
membrane, down its concentration gradient into the dialysis fluid.
 The ‘cleaner’ blood is returned to the patients veins.

Kidney transplant

 A transplant is more convenient than a dialysis machine because the patient is not
obliged to return to machine.
 The issue of kidney rejection is solved by choosing a donor who is genetically similar
to the patient preferably identical twin.
 The patient is given immuno-suppressant drugs until the kidney is accepted by the
body.