Integrated Science
OBJECTIVES
Distinguish between Excretion and
Egestion
Explain the mechanism of excretion by
the lungs, skin, and kidneys in humans;
Identify the methods of excretion in
flowering plants.
Definition
Excretion is the process by which waste
and harmful substances produced by the
body’s metabolism (the chemical
reactions occurring inside body cells) are
removed from the body.
Egestion is the process by which
undigested dietary fibre and other
materials are removed from the body as
faeces.
Difference between
Excretion and Egestion
EXCRETORY
SYSTEM
Excretory Organs in
Humans
Metabolic Waste Excreted
By Humans
The Human Kidneys
Humans have two kidneys, which form part of the
urinary system. The kidneys have two functions:
• To excrete metabolic waste, mainly urea, from the
body.
• To regulate the volume and concentration of blood
plasma and body fluids by regulating the amount
of water they contain, a process known as
osmoregulation.
The Kidneys and
Excretion in Humans
Each kidney is divided into three regions: an
outer region called the cortex, an inner region
called the medulla, and a central hollow region
called the pelvis.
A renal artery carries blood to each kidney, and
a renal vein carries blood away
Structure of the Urinary
System in Human
Each kidney is composed of thousands of kidney
tubules or nephrons that produce urine.
Each nephron begins with a cup-shaped
Bowman’s capsule in the cortex, which
surrounds an intertwined cluster of capillaries
called a glomerulus.
After the Bowman’s capsule, each nephron is
divided into three sections:
• The first convoluted (coiled) tubule in the cortex.
• The loop of Henle in the medulla.
• The second convoluted (coiled) tubule in the
cortex
An arteriole, which branches from the renal artery,
leads into each glomerulus.
A capillary leads out of each glomerulus and branches
to form a network of capillaries that wrap around each
nephron and then join into a venule that leads into the
renal vein.
Nephrons join into collecting ducts in the cortex, and
these ducts lead through the medulla and out into the
pelvis
Longitudinal section through a
kidney showing the position of
a nephron
Urine is produced in the nephrons by two
processes:
• Ultra-filtration or pressure filtration
• Selective reabsorption
Detailed structure of a
nephron explaining how urine
is produced
The Kidneys and
Osmoregulation in
Humans
Osmoregulation is the regulation of the water
content (concentration) of blood plasma and
body fluids.
The water content of blood plasma and body
fluids must be kept constant to prevent water
moving into and out of body cells unnecessarily.
If body fluids contain too much water (become
too dilute), water will enter body cells by
osmosis.
The cells will swell and may burst.
Drinking a lot of liquid or sweating very little, e.g.
in cold weather, can cause body fluids to
become too dilute.
If body fluids contain too little water (become too
concentrated), water will leave body cells by osmosis.
The cells shrink and the body becomes dehydrated.
If too much water leaves cells, metabolic reactions
cannot take place, and cells die.
Not drinking enough, excessive sweating or eating a
lot of salty foods can cause body fluids to become too
concentrated
The kidneys regulate the water content of body
fluids by controlling how much water is
reabsorbed into the blood plasma during
selective reabsorption.
This determines how much water is lost in urine.
Osmoregulation involves:
-The hypothalamus of the brain, which detects
changes in the concentration of blood plasma. •
-The antidiuretic hormone (ADH), which is produced
by the pituitary gland at the base of brain in
response to messages from the hypothalamus
Osmoregulation
Kidney Failure and Renal
Dialysis
When nephrons stop functioning properly, they
are unable to remove waste from the blood and
regulate the amount and composition of blood
plasma and body fluids, kidney failure occurs.
Harmful waste, especially urea, builds up in the
blood and can reach toxic levels, resulting in
death. Kidney failure can be treated by renal
dialysis.
During dialysis, blood from a vein, usually in the
arm, flows through a dialysis machine and is
returned to the body.
In the machine, waste products, mainly urea,
together with excess water and excess salts are
removed from the blood.
Dialysis must occur at regular intervals. Most people
require three sessions a week, each lasting 4 hour
Removal of Metabolic Waste
The Kidney’s play a crucial role in
removing waste, balancing blood pH,
and maintaining water balance.
The Liver transforms ingested toxins
and hazardous products of protein
breakdown into compounds that can be
eliminated by the kidneys.
The Lungs remove carbon dioxide.
ORGANS OF EXCRETION
Skin and associated
glands: Removes heat and
salts
Lungs: Removes carbon
dioxide
ORGANS OF EXCRETION
Kidneys (part of the Urinary
system): MAJOR excretory
organs that excrete metabolic
wastes, regulate water-salt
balance and acid-base balance.
Liver: Removes metabolic
wastes
Males vs. Females
Male’s urethra= sperm and urine
Female’s urethra= urine and
reproductive tract are separate.
PARTS OF THE
URINARY SYSTEM
Kidneys: filter blood to
produce urine.
Ureters: carry urine from the
kidneys to the urinary
bladder
PARTS OF THE
URINARY SYSTEM
Urinary Bladder: stores
urine.
Urethra: carries urine from
the bladder to the outside of
the body.
IMPORTANT BLOOD
VESSELS
Renal Artery: carries
contaminated blood into the
kidney.
Renal Vein: carries purified
blood from the kidney and
returns it back into circulation by
way of the inferior vena cava.
The Kidney
KIDNEY PARTS
Cortex: the outer part
Medulla: the middle part
Pelvis: the inner cavity where
urine collects
MAJOR FUNCTIONS
OF KIDNEYS
1. Filters blood of:
Urea – formed in the liver from the
breakdown of ammonia
Creatinine – formed in the muscles
Uric Acid – formed as a result of the
breakdown of nucleic acids (DNA and
RNA)
MAJOR FUNCTIONS
OF KIDNEYS
2. Controls the balance of
water in our bodies
3. Regulates pH of the blood
4. Regulates the
concentration of dissolved
ions in the blood
MAJOR FUNCTIONS
OF KIDNEYS
5. Secretes a hormone that
causes a production of red
blood cells
6. Activates Vitamin D
production in the skin
NEPHRONS
Tiny filtering units called
nephrons fill the cortex and
medulla of the kidney.
Each kidney contains 1 to
1.25 million nephrons.
Each nephron is
composed of 5
main parts:
Bowman’s capsule,
proximal tubule,
loop of Henle,
distal tubule &
collecting duct
Nephron
Afferent arteriole (bringing blood in)
Glomerulus: ball of capillaries
Efferent arteriole (blood out to Loop of Henle)
Bowman’s Capsule: carries filtrate (filtered
waste)
Proximal convoluted tubule
Loop of Henle: exposed to capillaries to
reabsorb water
Distal Convoluted tubule
Collecting duct
How urine is made
Filtration
– Glomerulus to Bowman’s Capsule
– Small substances pass (ions,
water, glucose, amino acids)
through diffusion
– Large substances can’t pass
(proteins, blood cells)
How urine is made
Reabsorption
– Reabsorption from tubules through capillaries
– Salts, water, nutrients
– Left over filtrate is urine.
Elimination
– The fluid than enters the collecting duct as urine. It
passes through the pelvis into the ureter.
– Most of the water, ions and useful nutrients (glucose,
amino acids) have been reabsorbed.
How urine is made
Secretion
– To maintain pH,
– H+, potassium, ammonium ions
secreted into tubule
Hormones of Kidney
Vassopressin (antidiuretic hormone - ADH)
– Controls volume of urine
– Reabsorbs water from collecting duct
– Concentrates urine if dehydrated
Aldosterone
– Reabsorbs sodium and water
– increases blood pressure and volume
Control of Water Balance
When water levels are too low:
1) The hypothalamus stimulates
the pituitary gland to secrete a
hormone called anti-diuretic
hormone (ADH). ADH travels
through blood to kidneys.
Control of Water Balance
2) ADH increases the
permeability of the tubules
and collecting ducts
3) More water is reabsorbed
into the blood so the urine
is more concentrated
Control of Water Balance
When water levels are too high:
1)Hypothalamus doesn’t stimulate
ADH secretion
2)Little water is reabsorbed into the
blood so the urine is more dilute.
200mL: stretches slightly
and signals to the brain.
400mL: almost full and
stretch receptors send a
more urgent message.
600mL: voluntary control
is lost.
