Excretory System:

Definition of Excretory System:

The excretory system is a system of an organism’s body that perform the function of excretion,
the bodily process of discharging wastes.

Introduction:

If you exercise on a hot day, you are likely to lose a lot of water in sweat. Then, for the next
several hours, you may notice that you do not pass urine as often as normal and that your urine is
darker than usual. Do you know why this happens? Your body is low on water and trying to
reduce the amount of water lost in urine. The amount of water lost in urine is controlled by the
kidneys, the main organs of the excretory system.

Explanation:

The excretory system consists of organs which remove metabolic wastes and toxins from the
body. In humans, this includes the removal of urea from the bloodstream and other wastes
produced by the body. It is one of the major ways the body maintains homeostasis. Although the
kidneys are the main organs of excretion, several other organs also excrete wastes. They include
the large intestine, liver, skin, and lungs. All of these organs of excretion, along with the kidneys,
make up the excretory system. The roles of the other excretory organs are summarized below:

 The large intestine eliminates solid wastes that remain after the digestion of food.

 The liver breaks down excess amino acids and toxins in the blood.

 The skin eliminates excess water and salts in sweat.

 The lungs exhale water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Parts of the Human Excretory System:

Every living organism generates waste in its body and has a mechanism to expel it. In humans,
waste generation and disposal are taken care of by the human excretory system. The human
excretory system comprises of the following structures:

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  2 Kidneys

 2 Ureters

 1 Urinary bladder

 1 Urethra

Kidneys:

Kidneys are the main organ of the human excretory system. The kidneys are paired organs in each
individual. They are the primary excretory organ in humans and are located one on each side of
the spine at the level of the liver. They are divided into three regions- the renal cortex which is the
outer layer, the renal medulla which is the inner layer and the renal pelvis which is responsible for
carrying the urine from the kidney to the ureter. The functional unit of a kidney is called the
nephron.

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Ureters:

There is one ureter that comes out of each kidney as an extension of the renal pelvis. The ureter is
a thin muscular tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder.

Urinary Bladder:

It is a sac-like structure that is lined with smooth muscle layer and is responsible for storage of
urine till it is expelled from the body by micturition. Micturition is the act of expelling urine from
the body. The bladder receives urine from the ureters, one from each kidney. The level of the
urinary bladder placement in the body differs in men and women.

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Urethra:

This is a tube that arises from the urinary bladder and functions to expel urine to the outside by
micturition. The urethra is shorter in females and longer in the males. In males, the urethra
functions as a common path for sperms and urine. The opening of the urethra is guarded by a
sphincter that is astronomically controlled.

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Other Excretory Organs:

Apart from the above mentioned excretory organs, there are other organs that also perform some
form of excretion.

Skin:

The skin is the largest organ in the body. Its primary function is to protect the different organs of
the body. However, the skin helps in excretion by the way of sweat. The skin eliminates
compounds like NaCl, some amount of urea etc.

Lungs

Lungs are the primary respiratory organs and they help take in oxygen and expel carbon dioxide.
But, in this process, they also function to eliminate some amount of water in the form of vapour.

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Liver

The liver has an important function in excretion. It is said to be the first line of defence when it
comes to hormones, fats, alcohol, and drugs. Most drugs undergo a first pass metabolism which
occurs in the liver. Few drugs are eliminated directly by the kidneys. The liver is said to play a
role in the elimination of excess fats and cholesterol that is essential to the health of the body.

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Filtering Blood and Forming Urine:

Nephron:

It is basic unit of structure in kidney. A nephron is used to separate water, ions and small
molecules from the blood, filter out wastes and toxins and return in deeded molecules to the
blood.

As shown in Figure below, each nephron is like a tiny filtering plant. It filters blood and forms
urine.

Structure of a Nephron:

The structural and functional unit of the kidney is the nephrons. Each kidney consists of millions
of nephrons that are all functioning together to filter urine and expel the waste products. Each
kidney consists of the following parts:

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 Bowman’s capsule– is the first part of the nephron which is a cup-shaped structure and
receives the blood vessels. The glomerular filtration occurs here. The blood cells and proteins
remain in the blood.

 Proximal Convoluted Tubule– The Bowman’s capsule extends downwards to form the
proximal tubule. Water and reusable materials from the blood are now reabsorbed back into
it.

 The loop of Henle– The proximal tubule leads to the formation of a u-shaped loop called the
Loop of Henle. The Loop of Henle has three parts: The descending limb, the u-shaped bend,
and the ascending limb. It is in this area that the urine becomes concentrated as water is
reabsorbed. The descending limb is freely permeable to water whereas the ascending limb is
impermeable to it.

 Distal Convoluted Tubule– the Loop of Henle leads into the distal convoluted tubule which
is where the kidney hormones cause their effect. And the distal convoluted tubule leads to the
collecting ducts.

 Collecting Duct– The distal convoluted tubule of each nephron leads to the collecting ducts.
The collecting ducts together form the renal pelvis through which the urine passes into the
ureter and then into the urinary bladder.

Functions of the Excretory System:

The excretory system performs many functions such as:

 Helps eliminate waste products such as urea, uric acid ammonia, and other products via
urine.

 It helps maintain the osmotic level of blood and plasma.

 It helps maintain the electrolyte balance in the body.

 And it also helps in the metabolism of those drugs that do not get metabolized in the liver.

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Conclusion:

Excretion is the process of removing wastes and excess water from the body. It is one of the
major ways the body maintains homeostasis. Organs of excretion make up the excretory system.
They include the kidneys, large intestine, liver, skin, and lungs.

The kidneys filter blood and form urine. They are part of the urinary system, which also includes
the ureters, bladder, and urethra.

Each kidney has more than a million nephrons, which are the structural and functional units of
the kidney. Each nephron is like a tiny filtering plant.

The kidneys maintain homeostasis by controlling the amount of water, ions, and other substances
in the blood. They also secrete hormones that have other homeostatic functions.

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Reference:

 Zoology Book ( G.Chapman and W.b.Barkker)

 www.sciencedaily.com
 www.biology4kids.com
 www.toppr.com
 www.biologydictionary.com
 www.ck12.org
 www.slideshare.com
 www.cliffnotes.com
 www.estrellamountain.edu

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