Lecture

28: Excretion 44.1-44.3

Friday, April 2 9, 2 016 5:05 A M

Final exam review May 4 10-11:20am Hickman 138

I. Introduction
A. Body Fluids
Intra- and extracellular
Composition depends on water uptake, water loss, solutes
B. Excretory Systems - Functions
1. Collect fluid from blood, interstitial fluid
Osmoregulation: Regulation of water content
Lose >~12% of water --> death
2. Regulate ion concentration, distribution
Too dilute or concentrated --> cellular processes fail
3. Excretion
Removal of metabolic wastes from body
Substances which were in cells or participated in metabolism
at some point
Includes: CO2, nitrogenous waste
NOT feces in large intestine - that's non-metabolic waste
Never absorbed or digested
II. Osmoregulation
A. Osmosis
Water moves lower [solute] --> higher [solute]

B. 2 Regulatory Strategies
1. Osmoconformers: Body fluids at equilibrium with surrounding sea
B. 2 Regulatory Strategies
1. Osmoconformers: Body fluids at equilibrium with surrounding sea
water --> isoosmotic to the environment
Only in marine animals
Stable ionic composition of water
2. Osmoregulators
Control internal osmolarity independent of external environment
Can live in inhospitable or variable environments
C. Marine Animals
Most marine invertebrates - osmoconformers
Most marine vertebrates - osmoregulators

D. Freshwater Animals
Hyperosmotic relative to environment --> gain water, lose ions
Ingest little water, excrete large amounts of urine
E. Terrestrial Vertebrates
Dehydration - from lungs, skin, digestives system, urine
Drinking water often unavailable
Adaptations to prevent desiccation
Body covering
Nocturnal behavior
1. Replace water by
Drinking water
Eating moist foods
Metabolic water
Maintaining water that is the product of metabolism from
cellular respiration
Minimize loss by concentration urine
 Drinking water
Eating moist foods
Metabolic water
Maintaining water that is the product of metabolism from
cellular respiration
Minimize loss by concentration urine
Human urine ~4x as concentrated as blood
Desert mammals ~20x more
Osmoregulation Summary
Water movement based on solute content
2 main strategies - generally based on environment
III. Nitrogenous Wastes
A. Proteins and nucleic acids
Broken down for E
Converted to fats, carbs
Deamination: Process of removing NH2
NH2 --> NH3 ( ammonia)

1. Ammonia Highly Toxic

Excreted in different forms in different animals
B. Ammonia - highly soluble. Low E required
Secreted by aquatic animals
C. Urea - very low toxicity. Requires E to make. Required water to excrete
Can accumulate in body instead of constantly releasing it
Periodically release urine
D. Uric acid - high E required. Insoluble. Low toxicity
Don't lose any water when getting rid of uric acid
 C. Urea - very low toxicity. Requires E to make. Required water to excrete
Can accumulate in body instead of constantly releasing it
Periodically release urine
D. Uric acid - high E required. Insoluble. Low toxicity
Don't lose any water when getting rid of uric acid
E. Type of N Waste Depends on
1. Habitat
Terrestrial turtles - uric acid
Minimize water loss
Aquatic turtles - ammonia or urea
Water loss is not a problem
2. Embryonic Environment
Impermeable shell --> uric acid
Either no shell or exchange with mother --> ammonia or urea
IV. Excretory System Diversity
A. Excretory Processes
Many animals produce urine - fluid waste
Four main steps
1. Filtration
Body fluid contacts selectively permeable membrane
Involves transport e pithelium: 1+ cell layers, specialized for moving
solutes in specific directions
Big - cannot pass
Water, small - can pass
Not highly selective - some valuable tings in filtrate
2. Reabsorption
Return of useful substances from filtrate --> body fluid
3. Secretion
Active transport of substances from blood --> urine
Important for removal of toxins, excess ions, nonessential solutes
4. Excretion
Release of filtrate as urine
4. Generating Urine
Now specific excretory structures/mechanisms- diverse
All include tubule networks --> large surface area for exchange
B. Protonephridia
Phylum Plathyhelminthes ( acoelomates)
Network of dead-end tubules, capped by flame bulb

C. Metanephridia
C. Metanephridia

Most annelids - each segment has pair

Open at both ends
D. Malpighian Tubules
Insects, other terrestrial arthropods
Tubes in coelom
Connect to digestive system
N-waste mostly uric acid
--> Water conservation

E. Kidneys
 E. Kidneys
Found in vertebrates, some other chordates
Osmoregulation and excretion
System of highly organized tubules

V. Human Excretory System

A. Kidney
Principle mammalian excretory organ
Paired bean-shaped structures
Below diaphragm, at posterior abdominal wall

1. Two functions
Blood composition
Produce urine
 1. Two functions
Blood composition
Produce urine
2. Urine
Continuously produced by kidneys
Moves from kidneys into ureter
Brings urine to urinary bladder ( stores ~1.5 pints)
Urine exits via urethra
B. Kidney Structure
1. Renal cortex: Outside
2. Renal medulla: Inner layer
3. Renal artery: takes in blood
4. Renal vein: exit for blood
5. Renal pelvis: where urine cools
6. Ureter

7. Cortical nephron: Functional unit of kidney

Network of tubes between medulla and cortex
C. Nephron Organization
1. Glomerulus: Spherical capillary network in Bowman's capsule
Bowman's Capsule: Closed end of nephron
Exchange occurs between them - filtration
2. Reabsorption and secretion occurs throughout tubules
Proximal tubule: in the cortex closer to Bowman's capsule
Winds back and forth for more surface area
Loop of Henle: goes down into medulla and comes back up to
cortex
Cortex
Distal tubule: after Loop of Henle
3. Final processing in collecting duct
--> hyperosmotic urine
--> renal pelvis
--> ureter
--> bladder

Big Picture: Maintains Homeostasis

Big Picture: Maintains Homeostasis

Excretory Structures Summary

Diverse excretory structures and forms of nitrogenous waste
Protonephridia
Metanephridia
Malpighian tubules
Kidneys
Adapted to remove solutes, minimize water loss
Wrap-Up
Properties of life
Levels of Biological Organization