Excretion

Form three 2018

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 Meaning Excretion
•
Excretion is a biological process where
cellular metabolic waste products are
removed from the body.
•
Metabolic wastes are produced as the
result chemical reactions taking place in
the cells e.g. cellular respiration.
•
Metabolism produces useful products as
well as toxic (poisonous) by-products.
•
The toxic substances have to be removed
as they are harmful if allowed to
accumulate.
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 The importance of excretion
•
It helps to remove waste product and toxic
materials e.g. urea, carbon dioxide gas etc.
•
It eliminates the excess materials from our body,
like, soluble vitamins, drugs.
•
Maintain the pH of body fluids by removing
excess bile pigment through liver.
•
Maintains water balance in the body. Excess
water are removed as sweat or urine.
•
Regulation of blood pressure by removing
excess salt and water in the body.
•
It give chance for absorption of other materials.
•
Regulates the salt content in the body. 3
 Major excretory products
•
The major excretory products eliminated
by organisms are carbon dioxide, excess
water, and nitrogenous.
1. Carbon dioxide gas and excess water
•
These waste are produced during the
cellular respiration .
•
In this process, glucose is broken down to
release energy, carbon dioxide gas and
excess water.

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 2. Nitrogenous waste
•
Nitrogenous waste are waste formed from the
breakdown of proteins and amino acids.
•
Excess protein and amino acid are broken
down in the liver to form ammonia.
•
The process where amino acid is broken
down to form ammonia in the liver is called
Deamination.
Types of Nitrogenous waste
•
The main nitrogenous wastes excreted by
living things are ammonia, urea and uric acid.
5
 i. Ammonia waste
•
This waste is the results of broken down
proteins and amino acid in the liver.
•
Ammonia waste are highly poisonous
nitrogenous waste product.
•
Ammonia is excreted mostly by aquatic
organisms e.g. fish.
•
Ammonia dissolves in water and is
eliminated from the body in soluble form.

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 ii. Urea
•
Urea is formed when ammonia combine
with carbon dioxide in the liver.
•
Urea is less toxic and is soluble in water.
•
Urea is excreted by many aquatic and
terrestrial animals include human being.
•
iii. Uric acid
•
Uric acid is insoluble nitrogenous waste
excreted main by birds, reptiles, and
insects.

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 Other metabolic waste
•
The other waste products eliminate by
living things are
•
Hormone
•
This waste is result of excess production of
hormone especially to female during the
pregnancy.
Cholesterol
•
This waste is result from excess in take of
fat especially by mammals.
Bilirubin
•
This waste is from breaking down of
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 Excretion in Human beings:
•
Excretion in human being is done through
Lungs, Skin, Liver and Kidneys.
1. Lungs:
•
The lungs help in getting rid of carbon
dioxide, formed as a result of cellular
respiration, through exhalation.
2. Skin:
•
The skin has sweat glands which excrete
small amount of excess water and salts.

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 3. Liver:
•
The liver excrete bile, which contains bile
pigments.
•
Bile pigment are produced by breakdown
old red blood cells in the liver.
•
The liver also excretes cholesterol.
4. Kidneys
•
The kidneys are the main organs of
excretion. It helps to remove excess water
and dissolved urea in form of urine from
the blood.

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 The Human urinary system
•
The urinary system is the system consists
of all the organs involved in the formation
and release of urine.
•
This system filters the blood, remove
waste and extra water which become a
component of urine.
Parts of urinary system
•
The urinary system consists of the
kidneys, the ureters, bladder, and the
urethra.

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Diagram of human urinary system

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 1. kidneys
•
The bean-shaped organs which help the
body to eliminate urea in form of urine.
•
The urinary system consists of two
kidneys such as the right kidney and the
left kidney.
2. Ureters
•
The pair of ducts or tubes that carries
urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
•
Ureters wall consist of smooth muscles
which contract to force urine downward,
away from the kidneys. 13
 3. Bladder
•
The muscular sac that keep or stores urine
temporary before excreted out of the
body.
•
The bladder also is known as the urinary
bladder and is located in the lower
abdominal.
•
The bladder walls relax (expand) to store
urine, and also contract and to remove
urine from the body.

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 4. Sphincter muscles
•
The circular muscles, help to keep urine from
leaking by closing tightly around the opening
of the bladder.
5. Urethra
•
Urethra is a tube like structure which carries
urine from the bladder to outside the body.
•
In female, urethra carry urine outside the
body while in male; urethra carry urine and
sperm outside the body.

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The Internal structure of a kidney

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 From the diagram above,

The internal structure of kidney is composed of
three basic regions such as
•
Cortex,
•
Medulla and
•
Pelvis.
1. Cortex
•
The cortex is the outer part of the kidney where
blood is filtered.
•
This part contains a Billions of glomeruli that
help in filtration of blood contents.
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 2. Medulla
•
The medulla is the inner part of the kidney
where the amount of salt and water are
controlled.
•
It consists of billions of loops of Henle.
•
The surface of medulla is folded to form
projection called pyramids.
3. Pelvis
•
This is a part of the kidney where urine is
collected after formed in the kidney.
•
This part is connected to the ureters which
carry urine from the kidney to the bladder.
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 Functions of kidney in excretion
•
Maintain volume of extracellular fluid (fluid
outside the cell).
•
Maintain ionic balance in extracellular fluid
•
Maintain pH of the extracellular fluid.
•
Excrete toxic metabolic by-products such
as urea, and uric acid.
•
Filtering blood and producing urine.
•
Absorbing minerals.

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 Nephron
•
Nephron is the structural and functional
unit of the kidney.
•
It act as filters and remove the waste
products from blood and forms urine.
•
Each kidney possesses a large number of
nephrons approximately one million.

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Structure of the Nephron

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 Afferent arteriole and Efferent arteriole
•
Afferent arteriole is the branch of renal
artery which carries blood to the
glomerulus capsule while Efferent arteriole
carries blood away from the glomerulus to
different part of the body.
Bowman’s capsule
•
A round cup like structure which surrounds
or encloses a glomerulus.
•
It serves as a filter to remove organic
wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water.
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 Glomerulus
•
A network of capillaries surrounded by the
Bowman's capsule. It receives and filter blood
from afferent arteriole.
•
The blood with large particles is taken from
the glomerulus through efferent artery to
different parts of body.
Proximal convoluted tube
•
This is the first convoluted tube extended from
Bowman’s capsule to the descending loop of
Henle.
•
It help in reabsorption of glucose, amino acid,
potassium and calcium ions. 23
 Loop of Henle
•
The U-shaped part of the nephron, located
between the proximal and distal convoluted
tubules.
•
Loop of Henle help to reabsorb water and salt
(Nacl).
•
Animals with long loop of Henle store large
amount of water in their body for long period
of time.
•
It is one of the adaptive feature for animals
living in desert area.

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 Parts of loop of Henle

•
It is divided into two parts such as descending
and ascending.
i. Descending loop of Henle
•
This part is permeability to water. There fore,
water is reabsorbed.
ii. Ascending part loop of Henle
•
This part is permeability to sodium ions. There
fore, sodium ions are reabsorbed.

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 Distal convoluted tubule
•
This is the second convoluted or coiled tube
that extended from the loop of Henle to the
collecting duct.
•
At distal convoluted tubule also Sodium ions
and water are reabsorbed
Collecting ducts
•
The collecting ducts are small tubes that
direct or drainage urine into the renal pelvis
for drainage into the ureter.
•
Once in the ureter, the urine can be pushed
into the bladder for elimination.
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 Questions
•
Why proximal and distal convoluted tubule
are highly convoluted?
•
Give reason, why camel adapt well in
desert?

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 Mechanism of urine formation
•
The process of urine formation in the body
involve three process steps such as Filtration,
Reabsorption and Secretion.
1. Filtration
•
Filtration takes place in the glomerulus when
the kidneys receive blood contents under high
pressure through renal artery.
•
In the glomerulus, filtration of amino acid,
water, salt, glucose, and urea from the blood is
done.

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 Filtration cont…..
•
At glomerulus, blood speed slow down to allow
more absorption of materials. This is called
glomerular ultrafiltration.
2. Reabsorption
•
Reabsorption is the movement of substances
out of the renal tubules back into the blood
capillaries.
•
It occurs in different parts of the nephron such
as proximal convoluted tubes, loop of Henle,
distal convoluted tube and collecting duct.
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 i.Reabsorption at proximal convoluted tube
•
In this region, Glucose, amino acid, potassium
and calcium ions are reabsorbed
ii. Reabsorption at loop of Henle
•
In descending part of loop of Henle, water are
reabsorbed while in ascending part loop of
Henle, sodium ions are reabsorbed.
iii Reabsorption at Distal convoluted tube
•
In this region, Sodium ions and water also are
reabsorbed.
iv Reabsorption at collecting duct
•
In this region, more water are absorbed 30
 3. Secretion
•
The process where substances move out of
the blood into the renal tubules (nephron).
•
Secretion takes place at distal convoluted
tubule where potassium and acid in the form
of hydrogen ions, are removed from the blood
by the distal convoluted tubule, and are then
added to the urine.

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Diagram to illustrate the processes of urine formation

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 Complication and Disorders of
excretory system
•
Complication and disorders of excretory
system is inability of excretory system to
carry out their normal function such as
excreting wastes.
•
Some of complication and disorders of
excretory system are Kidney stones and
Kidney failure.

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 Kidney stones
•
Kidney stones are deposit of calcium salt
and other salt in the urinary system.
•
Kidney stones can damage urinary system
resulting to severe pain as well as blood in
urine when urinating.
•
Causes
•
Kidney stones are caused due to
crystallization of salt around the blood or
dead tissue.
•
Stones commonly have been found in those
that drink less than the recommended eight
to ten glasses of water a day. 34
Symptoms of kidney stones
•
Blood in urine - This may be caused by the
stone scratching the kidney or ureter
•
Pain during the urination
•
Men may have pain in the testicles and
scrotum.
•
Periods of intense pain in the back or side
of your abdomen which may last for
minutes or hours
•
Feeling restless and unable to lie still
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Nausea
•
Needing to urinate more often than normal35
 How to prevent kidney stones
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Drink plenty of water to dilutes the
substances in urine that lead to stones.
•
Make sure to take in amount of calcium
appropriate to your age.
•
Reduce stone forming foods: such as
chocolate, spinach, tea, and most nuts
•
Reduce sodium: Low sodium diet is
recommended for the stone prone.
•
Limit animal protein: Eating too much
animal protein, such as red meat, eggs, and
seafood, boosts the level of uric acid and
could lead to kidney stones. 36
 Treatment for kidney stones
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Surgical treatments which may involve
kidney transplant
Kidney failure
•
Kidney failure occurs when the kidneys
partly or completely lose their ability to
carry out normal function such as filter
water and waste from the blood.
•
Kidney fail can be categorized into acute
kidney failure and chronic kidney failure.

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 Acute kidney failure
•
Acute kidney failure occurs when kidneys
suddenly become unable to filter waste
products from your blood.
•
Acute kidney failure also is called acute
renal failure or acute kidney injury.
Chronic kidney failure
•
Chronic kidney failure occurs when a
disease slowly destroys the kidneys.
•
Destruction occurs over many years,
usually with no symptoms until the late
stage of kidney failure.
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 What Causes Kidney Failure?
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Loss of blood flow to the kidneys this can
be caused by heart attacks, heart disease,
dehydration, blood pressure etc.
•
Drugs and alcohol
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Blood clots in or around the kidneys
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Infections
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Physical injured or trauma
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Drug toxicity
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Kidney stone

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 Symptoms
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Making more or less urine than normal.
•
Blood in the urine (typically only seen
through a microscope)
•
Urine that is bubble (may be seen when
protein is in the urine)
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Fatigue
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Shortness of breath
•
Weakness
•
Mental confusion
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Nausea and vomiting
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 How to prevent kidney failure
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Take Balanced diet to avoid heart diseases
e.g. Blood pressure.
•
Drink alcohol only in moderate
•
Drink lots of water every day
•
Reduce the intake of salt: Salt increases
the amount of sodium in diet which may
lead to kidney stone.
•
Manage diabetes, high blood pressure and
heart disease
•
Drink healthy beverages: Including fresh
juices is another way of drinking more fluids
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 Treatment for kidney failure
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Kidney failure is treated by Kidney transplant.
•
A kidney transplant involves surgically placing
a healthy kidney from a donor into the patient.

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 Excretion in plants
The main waste excreted by plants are
Carbon dioxide gas
•
This gas is produced during the respiration
Oxygen gas
•
This gas is produced during the
photosynthesis process.
•
Excess water
•
Also are produced during the photosynthesis
Other wastes produced by plants
•
Gum, Caffeine, Nicotine, Alkaloids (e.g.
Quinine), Rubber, Cocaine, resins etc. 43
 How excretion is carried out in plants?
•
The gaseous waste materials produced during
respiration (carbon dioxide) and photosynthesis
(oxygen) diffuse out through stomata in the
leaves and through lenticels.
•
Excess water evaporates mostly from stomata
and also from the outer surface of the stem,
fruits, etc.
•
Some wastes products in plants also store
waste within their leaves or barks. These
wastes are periodically removed as the leaves
and barks fall off.
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 Economic importance of waste materials
excreted by plants
Gum:
•
Gum is a sticky substance found in the stems of
some trees. This waste is used to stain
substance.
Oxygen:
•
Through the process of photosynthesis, oxygen
is produced as waste product. Oxygen is useful
in organisms for respiration.
Rubber:
•
This waste comes from the rubber tree. This
rubber is used for manufacturing tyres. 45
 Alkaloids waste:
•
Groups of toxic wastes produced by in
medicinal plants. But some of these are
useful to us e.g. Quinine is medicine
derived from alkaloids.
Nicotine waste:
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Obtained from tobacco. It affects nearly
every organs in the body. Nicotine may
cause lung cancer for cigarette smoker.
•
Cocaine waste:
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Obtained from leaves of coca plants.
Cocaine stimulates a user of cocaine feel
highly aroused (“Feels high”). 46