32.

4 Excretory System
KEY CONCEPT
The excretory system removes wastes and helps
maintain homeostasis.
32.4 Excretory System
32.4 Excretory System
The excretory system eliminates nonsolid wastes from
the body.
• Nonsolid wastes are
eliminated through lungs, skin

skin, and kidneys. lungs

• Lungs exhale carbon

dioxide and water vapor.
• Sweat glands in skin
kidneys
release excess water and
salts. ureters

• Kidneys filter and clean the urethra

urinary bladder

blood to produce urine.

32.4 Excretory System

• Kidneys have three basic functions in maintaining

homeostasis.
– remove waste from blood
– help to maintain electrolyte, pH, and fluid balances
– release key hormones
32.4 Excretory System
The kidneys help to maintain homeostasis by filtering the
blood. cortex

• Kidneys are a pair of bean-

shaped organs. medulla

– two layers: medulla and renal

artery
cortex
– filtering units called
nephrons
– renal artery and renal renal vein

vein
ureter
(to bladder)
32.4 Excretory System
Nephrons clean the blood and produce urine.
• 4. Glomerulus-filters and cleans the blood
• 5. Bowman’s Capsule-holds the filtrate, molecules are
reabsorbed into the capillaries to balance the blood
chemically from body

• 6. Loop of Henle-
Water is reabsorbed.
7. Collecting ducts-
collect urine from to body

nephrons and to body

send it to the from other

loop of Henle
nephrons
ureter.
32.4 Excretory System
Nephrons clean the blood and produce urine.
• Nephrons are the filtering units in the kidneys.
• They clean and rebalance the blood to produce urine.

from body

to body
to body

from other
loop of Henle
nephrons
32.4 Excretory System

• Nephrons clean the blood in a three-step process.

• The first step is filtration of the blood.

1 FILTRATION
Glomerulus Water,electrolytes,aminoacids,
glucose,urea, and other small
molecules diffuse out of the
blood,creating the filtrate.

Bowman’s capsule
32.4 Excretory System

• The first step is filtration of the blood.

• The second step is reabsorption of materials.
• The third step is excretion of materials.

2 REABSORPTION
from body
As the filtrate enters the rest of
the tubule ,most of the materials
are reabsorbed into the
blood.Materials not reabsorbed
make up the urine,which flows
into the loop of Henle.
collecting
duct 3 EXCRETION
to body In the loop of Henle,water can be
reabsorbed one final time to
from other reduce the volume of urine.The
nephrons remaining urine flows into a
loop of Henle collecting duct that leads to the
ureter.
32.4 Excretory System
Injury and disease can damage kidney functions.
• A kidney transplant can replaced damaged kidney.
– recipient and donor tissue must match
– drugs prevent tissue rejection

The daughter and son in this photo donated a kidney and

liver tissue to their mother.
32.4 Excretory System

• Dialysis can be used to filter and clean the blood.

32.4 Excretory System
32.4 Excretory System

Hand-in worksheet on the

Excretory/Urinary System