Ch-13 Excretion in Humans

Excretory System
Excretion: It is the removal or elimination of harmful metabolic waste products

and other substances which are not required by the body. It is an essential
characteristic of living organisms.
The products excreted are: 1. Waste products generated from bio-chemical
reactions occurring in the body like respiration, protein break down etc.
2. Extra water & other mineral ions.
3. Drugs which have been ingested.
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4. Hormones & their breakdown products.
Major Excretory Organs:
• Lungs- They are a pair of spongy organs present in the chest cavity
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which are responsible for removal of carbon dioxide from the body
which is produced as a by-product of aerobic respiration.
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• Kidney- They are a pair of bean shaped organs found in the abdomen
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which serve as the main excretory organ of the body. They remove
urea (a nitrogen containing waste product), excess water, mineral ions,
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hormones & drugs.
• Liver- It is an organ present in the abdomen which breaks down excess
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amino acids present in the body to form useful products & urea is
produced as a waste product in the process.
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Role of Liver in Excretion

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• The nutrients (glucose, amino acids, small fatty acids) obtained from
absorption of digested food in the intestine is brought to the liver via
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the hepatic portal vein.

• Assimilation: In the liver→ The nutrients are converted into
compounds which can be used by the cells. This is known as
assimilation. Amino acids are converted into proteins like fibrinogen
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which is required for clotting of blood and albumin, an important

carrier protein.
• Some amino acids are sent by the liver to the body cells as per their
requirement.
• Excess amino acids cannot be stored like fats & carbohydrates in the
body and is broken down by the liver by a process called deamination.
Excretory System
DEAMINATION
• Deamination is the process of removal of the nitrogen containing part

of the amino acids resulting in the formation of ammonia. The
remaining carbon containing part is then converted into glucose which
is again converted to the storage form- glycogen. The ammonia being
toxic is converted to a lesser toxic compound- urea which is then sent
to the kidneys for excretion.
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Excretory System
The Urinary System
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The urinary system is composed of the kidneys, ureters, urinary
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bladder & the urethra.
➢ Kidneys: They are two bean shaped organs present in the
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abdominal cavity. They receive oxygenated blood from the renal

arteries which arise from the aorta. The renal veins take away
the deoxygenated blood & drain into the vena cava.
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➢ Ureters: They are tube like structures which carry the urine from
the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
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➢ Urinary Bladder: It is a sac like structure which stores the urine

before its expulsion.
➢ Urethra: It is the tube or duct which allows the urine to pass out
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of the body from the urinary bladder. It is controlled by

sphincter muscles.
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(Do NOT confuse yourself with the terms: “Ureter” & “Urethra”)
Excretory System
Microscopic Structure of Kidney

• In longitudinal section: a
kidney is composed of an
outer darker area known
as the cortex. The inner
region is lighter and is
known as the medulla.
• The kidneys are made up
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of about a million of
microscopic structures
known as Nephrons ( or
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renal tubules/kidney
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tubules)- which are the
structural & functional
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unit of the kidney.
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• The nephrons start in the
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cortex, goes down into

the medulla, comes back
to the cortex and then
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descends again finally

joining the ureter.
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• Each nephron is made up

of: Glomerulus, Bowman’s
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Capsule, kidney tubules,

loop of henle & collecting
ducts.
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Excretory System
• The renal artery

after entering the
cortex divides into
arterioles.
• Each arteriole leads
to a Glomerulus -
where they further
divide & twist to
form a tuft of
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capillaries.
• The glomerulus is
surrounded by a cup
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like structure
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known as the Bowman’s capsule which takes part in the filtration of
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blood & leads to the kidney tubules.
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The blood entering the glomerulus is subjected to high pressure due to
the narrow capillaries. This causes the smaller molecules like water,
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urea, glucose to pass through holes present in the capillaries to the
Bowman’s capsule of the nephron. Large molecules like protein and
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blood cells do not pass out into the Bowman’s capsule. This is known
as
ultrafiltration.
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The fluid
collected in the
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Bowman’s
capsule has
water along
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with mineral
ions, glucose,
urea, dissolved
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vitamins and
hormonal
products.
This fluid, as it
passes through
the kidney
tubules
Excretory System
undergoes selective reabsorption where all the glucose, majority of

mineral ions & some quantity of water is reabsorbed.
• Glucose is the first component to be absorbed in the tubules by the
process of active transport.
• Certain excess mineral ions , drugs, may be secreted from the
capillaries directly into the filtrate in the tubules.
• The remaining fluid rich in urea, uric acid etc. is known as urine and
passes to the collecting ducts and then through the ureters is stored in
the urinary bladder before expulsion.
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Water Balance & Kidneys

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• The kidneys along with the brain help in maintaining the water level &
concentration of ions in the body within an optimal range.
• If excess water is drunk: less water is absorbed from the tubules by the
kidney & large quantity of pale-yellow urine is produced.
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• If a person has less water or loses water due to perspiration, then the
urine will be darker, concentrated & less in volume.
• Exercising or doing heavy work without adequate intake of water leads
to the production of dark, concentrated and low volume urine.
Excretory System
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Excretory System

Excretion: It is the removal or elimination of harmful metabolic waste products

Role of Liver in Excretion

the hepatic portal vein.

which is required for clotting of blood and albumin, an important

• Deamination is the process of removal of the nitrogen containing part

The Urinary System

abdominal cavity. They receive oxygenated blood from the renal

➢ Urinary Bladder: It is a sac like structure which stores the urine

of the body from the urinary bladder. It is controlled by

Microscopic Structure of Kidney

cortex, goes down into

descends again finally

• Each nephron is made up

Capsule, kidney tubules,

• The renal artery

undergoes selective reabsorption where all the glucose, majority of

Water Balance & Kidneys

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