BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - The urinary system : Revision, Print

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The urinary system

The urinary system is designed to remove waste products such as urea, as well as excess ions and water from our blood. The kidneys contain many nephrons which remove any waste, before reabsorbing any substances the body needs. Waste is stored in the bladder before being removed as urine.
The urinary system overview Waste products are produced by our cells. These include carbon dioxide from respiration[respiration : Chemical change that takes place inside living cells, which uses glucose and oxygen to produce the energy organisms need to live. Carbon dioxide is a by-product of respiration.] and urea [urea : A nitrogenous waste product resulting from the breakdown of proteins. It is excreted in urine. ] from the breakdown of excess amino acids [amino acids : Complex molecules which form the building blocks of proteins.] in the liver. Carbon dioxide is removed by our lungs. Our urinary system is responsible for producing, storing and removing urine from our bodies. Our urine contains urea and any excess water. The kidneys The kidneys are part of the urinary system, together with the ureter[ureter : Tube leading from a kidney to the bladder.], urethra [urethra: The tube that connects the bladder to the exterior of an animal. ] and bladder[bladder : The organ that collects urine as it is produced by the kidneys, and releases it when an animal urinates.]. Humans have two kidneys. They are bean-shaped organs approximately 11.5 cm long which are found just below our ribcage, one on either side of our spine.

location of kidneys in abdominal cavity The renal arteries take blood with waste products to the kidneys to be filtered. Renal veins then return the filtered blood to be circulated around the body. Blood vessels take the blood though the kidneys where the waste products are removed into convoluted tubules . These tubules join together to form the ureter, which transports urine to the bladder where it is stored. Urine is then passed from the bladder to the urethra to be released.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/the_urinary_system/revision/print/[10/21/2013 8:22:56 PM]

BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - The urinary system : Revision, Print

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. Anatomy and physiology of the kidneys Kidney failure Since the kidney is responsible for the removal of waste from the blood, any damage (either from accidents or disease) can lead to a build-up of poisonous waste products in the body. We can survive without one kidney very well, but total kidney failure would be fatal if not treated. Treatment can take the form of dialysis on a kidney machine or a kidney transplant . Kidney dialysis machine A dialysis machine can keep a patient alive until a transplant becomes available. The patients blood is passed through the machine and cleaned of any waste products the kidneys would have otherwise removed. However, dialysis machines have several disadvantages: They are expensive. The patient must have his or her blood connected to the machine for several hours each week. Patients must follow a very strict diet to avoid complications. They only work for a limited time for a patient. Kidney transplant A kidney transplant can save the patient's life, and after a transplant the patient can live a relatively normal life. This is clearly a better option than a machine, but kidney transplants also have several disadvantages: Any major surgery carries some risk. The kidney may be rejected by the body of the patient and so drugs (immuno-suppressant drugs) are used constantly to help prevent rejection. A precise match of tissue type is needed. About half the donated kidneys come from family members (this is known as a living donor). There is a severe shortage of donors.

This photograph shows a patient undergoing kidney dialysis In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed. The removal of a kidney for a transplant The nephron

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BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - The urinary system : Revision, Print

Urine is produced in microscopic structures in the kidney called nephrons. There are approximately 1 million nephrons in each kidney. The glomerulus filters blood and produces glomerular filtrate . This filtrate contains water , glucose [glucose: A simple sugar made by the body from food, which is used by cells to make energy in respiration.], salts and urea [urea : A nitrogenous waste product resulting from the breakdown of proteins. It is excreted in urine. ]. Large molecules such as protein [protein: Organic compound made up of amino acid molecules. One of the three main food groups, proteins are needed by the body for cell growth and repair. ] are too large to fit through the blood capillary [capillaries: Extremely narrow tubes, which carry blood around a body's tissues.] walls. The Bowman's capsule collects the filtrate and it enters the tubules. All glucose is reabsorbed immediately into the blood capillaries. As the rest of the filtrate travels through the tubules, water and salts needed by the body are reabsorbed into the blood capillaries. The loop of Henl helps maintain the correct water balance in the body by filtering out salts. The waste, consisting of excess water, excess salts and urea, is urine. The collecting duct collects the urine, which is then transported in the ureter to the bladder . The bladder stores urine until the body is ready to expel it through the urethra. This process can be summarised in three important steps: 1. Filtration - where lots of water, ions [ion: The charged particle formed when an atom, or a group of atoms, lose or gain electrons. Ion charge helps determine a substance's acidity or alkalinity. ], urea [urea : A nitrogenous waste product resulting from the breakdown of proteins. It is excreted in urine. ] and sugar are squeezed from the blood into the tubules. 2. Selective reabsorption the useful substances (ions and sugars) are reabsorbed back into the blood from the tubules. The amount of water in the blood is regulated here to maintain it at a constant rate. This is known as osmoregulation. 3. Excretion of waste - urea and excess water and ions travel to the bladder as urine, to be released from the body. For more information about the kidney visit the Human Body and Mind section of the BBC website. Read on if you're taking the higher paper. ADH and regulating water content Higher tier The kidneys are the main organs a mammal uses to adjust its water content. This is done by controlling the volume of urine produced. The kidneys are controlled by a hormone called ADH (anti-diuretic hormone) which is produced by the pituitary gland[pituitary gland : An endocrine gland that is

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/triple_edexcel/control_systems/the_urinary_system/revision/print/[10/21/2013 8:22:56 PM]

BBC - GCSE Bitesize Science - The urinary system : Revision, Print

located just below the centre of the brain. It releases a number of important hormones.]. The brain detects any changes in the water concentration of the blood. If the water concentration falls, then more ADH is produced. In response to this, the kidney reabsorbs more water. This means that a small volume of very concentrated urine is produced. This reduces water loss. If the water concentration rises, then less ADH is produced. In response to this, the kidney reabsorbs less water. This means that a large volume of very dilute urine is produced. This increases water loss. This regulation of water concentration can be seen in the animation below (by clicking on 'Too much water' or 'Too little water').

In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed.

ADH production is an example of a negative feedback mechanism . This is when a substance is produced in our bodies to return a system to normal. Here ADH is produced in response to low blood water levels (high salt concentration). Negative feedback is also seen in the menstrual cycle. How hormones from the pituitary gland in the brain regulate water concentration in the blood In order to see this content you need to have both Javascript enabled and Flash installed.

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