Functions of the Excretory System

Excretion is the process of separating wastes from body fluids and

eliminating the wastes from the body. Most metabolic wastes are dissolved in
solution and excreted by the excretory system. This system produces urine in
the kidneys and delivers it out of the body.
The excretory system has four main functions:
-excretion of metabolic (mainly nitrogenous) wastes
-maintenance of water-salt balance to regulate blood pressure
-maintenance of acid-base balance to regulate blood pH
-secretion of hormones such as calcitriol, erythropoietin, and renin
The Kidneys
Each kidney has two major blood vessels,
-a renal artery, which delivers blood to the kidney
-a renal vein, which drains blood from the kidney
Many branches of the renal artery and the renal vein reach inside the kidney
-minor and major calyx, pelvis region
There are three regions in each kidney
-renal cortex: outer layer
-renal medulla: inner layer with cone-shaped tissue masses
-renal pelvis: central space continuous with the ureter
Embedded within the renal cortex and extending into the renal medulla are
more than one million microscopic structures called nephrons, which are
associated with a network of blood vessels.
The nephrons are responsible for filtering blood and creating urine.
To perform this function, each nephron is organized into three regions:
-a filter
-a tubule
-a collecting duct

The Nephron Filter

The Bowmans capsule is a cap-like formation that filters the blood. Within
each capsule, the renal artery splits into a fine network of capillaries called a
glomerulus.
The walls of the glomerulus are impermeable to proteins, other large
molecules and red blood cells. The main waste products of metabolism
(water, small molecules, ions, and urea) pass through these walls and proceed
into Bowmans capsule as filtered fluid. This filtered fluid is called filtrate.
The Nephron Tubule
The Bowmans capsule leads to a long tubule that folds back on itself to form
a loop. This tubule is responsible for reabsorption of useful substances (for ex,
glucose, ions) from the filtrate, as well as secretion of substances into
surrounding tissues.
The tubule has three parts: the proximal tubule, the loop of Henle, and the
distal tubule.
The Nephron Duct
The tubule empties into a large channel called a collecting duct. The
collecting duct is a water-conservation device, reabsorbing water and some
solutes from the filtrate as they pass through the channel, returning them to
the body via the renal vein. This ensures that very little water is lost from the
body.
The filtrate that remains in the duct, a suspension of water and carious
substances is called urine, which exits the body.
Urine Formation in the Nephron
There are four processes that are critical to urine formation:
-glomerular filtration produces filtrate by moving water and solutes (except
proteins) from the blood into the nephron

-tubular reabsorption removes useful substances from the fitrate and returns
them to the blood for use by the body
-tubular secretion moves additional wastes from the blood into the filtrate
-water reabsorption removes water from the filtrate and returns it to the
blood for use by the body
Glomerular Filtration Filters the Blood
The formation of urine starts with glomerular filtration. This process moves
the water and dissolved substances from the blood into the Bowmans
capsule
Two factors that contribute to filtration are:
-the permeability of the capillaries allow water and dissolved substances to
pass through but are impermeable to proteins and blood cells
-blood pressure: the high blood pressure within the glomerulus provides the
force for filtration