Human Excretory System

Objectives:
•We will get a brief idea of different excretory organs of the body.
•We will study the external and internal structure of the kidney.
•Parts and functions of of the urinary system along with the blood
vessels associated.
•We will also get a brief idea about the processes- Ultrafiltration,
Selective reabsorption and tubular secretion.
 Excretory System
Excretion – removes cellular waste

The process that collects & removes

harmful or useless substances that
form in the body or are taken into the
body from the blood, tissues, and cells.
 Excretory System
Although the urinary system has a major role in
excretion, other organs contribute to the excretory
function.
 Cellular Waste
Heat
Water
Excess Salts
CO2
Nitrogenous metabolic wastes (Urea, uric
acid, ammonia
Bile pigments (Yellow bilirubin)
W/O excretion poisonous wastes build
up in blood, cells, and tissues.
Could lead to serious illness &
eventually DEATH!
Four Organs of the Excretory System

•The lungs in the respiratory system excrete some

waste products, such as carbon dioxide and water.
•The skin is another excretory organ that rids the
body of wastes through the sweat glands.
•The liver (via the intestines) excretes bile pigments
that result from the destruction of hemoglobin. It
also converts nitrogenous waste from the break
down of proteins into urea.
•The major task of excretion still belongs to the
kidneys, the major organ in the urinary system. If it
fails the other organs cannot take over and
compensate adequately.
 Liver Produces Urea
Functions in Excretion
– Forms Urea
Changes toxic wastes (ammonia – from break
down of amino acids) to Urea.
Urea  Blood  Kidneys
Filtered out & excreted in Urine
 Kidneys & Urinary System
Urinary System – excretes waste and
maintains homeostasis of body fluids.
– Kidneys (main organ of the system)
– Ureters
– Bladder
– Urethra
 Kidneys & Urinary System
Kidneys
– Two
– Fist sized
– Bean shaped

The Kidney has two main functions, it removes metabolic

waste from the body through the process of excretion and
it regulates the water and ion content in the blood
 Kidneys- Functional Units & Product
Nephron (about one million per kidney)
– Microscopic units that filter blood of wastes.
– H2O and waste taken from blood into nephron
Form URINE
 Glomerulus (clump of capillaries)
 At end of each nephron
 Network of coiled tubes – diffusion of wastes - while
useful substances & water are reabsorbed
 Urine
 Pale yellow solution
 Urea, H20, salts, other trace solutions (toxins…)
 Urinary System - continued
Ureters
– Narrow muscular tubes
– Connect Kidney  Bladder
 Bladder
 Muscular sac
 Stores Urine
 Expand to fill
 Muscle relaxes
 Urine squeezed into Urethra
 Urinary System - endpoint
Urethra
– Tube leading from Bladder  outside of body
On Transverse section the kidney is divided into the outer dark region called the
Cortex and the inner lighter region called the medulla.
The medulla is composed of a finely striped substance arranged in several conica
pyramids
 Internal structure of the Kidney: The kidney has two main
regions- an outer dark cortex and an inner lighter medulla
The kidney is composed of a large number of minute tubules
called uriniferous tubules or nephrons or renal tubules
Malpighian capsule: The Bowman’s capsule and the
Glomerulus together are called Malpighian capsule or
renal capsule.

Proximal or first convoluted tubule: It is the starting

convoluted region of the tubule

Loop of Henle: The hair pin shaped part of the tubule

which is not convoluted.

Distal convoluted tubule: End part of the kidney tubule

which opens into a collecting duct
 FORMATION OF URINE

The formation of urine occurs in three major

steps:
1.Ultrafiltration
2.Selective reabsorption
3.Tubular secretion
 Ultrafiltration
Ultrafiltration occurs in the renal or bowman's capsule. The
renal artery which brings blood to the kidney is split up into
numerous arterioles, each feeding a nephron. The arterioles
split into numerous capillaries which form a knot called a
glomerulus. This is surrounded by the bowman's capsule. The
arteriole leading into the glomerulus is wider than the one
leading out so there is a high blood pressure in the capillaries of
the glomerulus. This pressure forces plasma out of the blood
by ultrafiltration. Once the blood is filtered in this way only
blood cells and the large plasma proteins remain in the blood
and continue in to the proximal convoluted tubule.
Structure of a Bowman’s Capsule
 Selective Reabsorption
Selective reabsorption occurs in the proximal
convoluted tubule. This is the longest and widest part
of the nephron. In this part over 80% of the filtrate is
reabsorbed into the blood. Ensuring all useful
material is returned to the blood. All glucose, amino
acids and 85% of mineral ions are reabsorbed by active
transport. Small proteins are reabsorbed. 80% of
water is absorbed back into the blood by osmosis.
 TUBULAR SECRETION
Certain substances like potassium, and a large number of foreign
chemicals including drugs like penicillin are passed into the forming
urine in the distal convoluted tubule. This passage involves the
activity of cells of the tubular wall, and thus called tubular secretion.

Finally the urine passes to the collecting ducts to the pelvis before
it goes into the ureter. The ureters carry the urine to the urinary
bladder where it is temporarily stored. Then it is expelled from the
Urinary bladder through urethra.

Micturition: The process of expulsion of urine from the urinary

bladder due to the relaxation of sphincter muscles located at the
opening of the urinary bladder, under the impulse from the Nervous
system
 Physical properties of Urine:
Colour: Clear Yellow (Due to pigment
urochrome)
Volume: 1 to 1.5 litres per day
pH: 5 to 8 (Slightly acidic)
 Abnormal constituents of urine
1. Blood cells/ Haematuria- In this, the blood passes with
urine, due to infection in urinary tracts, kidney stone or
tumour.

2. Glucose/ Glycosuria- Excess glucose passes with urine,

due to Diabetes mellitus (Sugar Diabetes)

3. Albumin- Due to high blood pressure or increased

permeability of the Bowman’s capsule.

4. Bile pigments- Anemia, Hepatitis (jaundice) or due to

liver cirrhosis.
Osmoregulation: The process of regulating the salt and
water concentration in our body is called
osmoregulation

Artificial Kidney: If both the kidneys fail due to some

reason, then dialysis is done through an artificial
machine.