DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL
SECUNDERABAD, NACHARAM
LIFE PROCESSES – EXCRETION
Excretion: The process of removal of toxic metabolic wastes from the body is called excretion.
Need for excretion: a) To remove metabolic wastes
b) To maintain osmoregulation (right amount of water and ionic balance)
c) To maintain temperature of the blood.
Waste products to be excreted:
a) CO2 and H2O formed during respiration
b) Urea and Uric acid
HUMAN EXCRETORY SYSTEM
Comprises of
a) A pair of kidneys
b) A pair of ureters
c) A urinary bladder
d) Urethra
1. Kidneys are bean shaped organs nearly 12-13cm long
2. Located in the abdomen one on either side of back bone.
3. Each kidney is made up of large number of filtering units called nephrons.
4. Ureters: There is a pair of ureters which run from the inner side of each kidney and
open into urinary bladder.
5. Urinary bladder and Urethra: Urine is collected and stored in the urinary bladder
and when it is full and is discharged out through urethra.
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STRUCTURE OF A NEPHRON
Nephron is made up of three main parts
a) Cup shaped Bowman’s capsule
b) Tubule
c) Collecting tubule
Formation of urine / Process of
filtration of blood
• Bowman’s capsule contains a large network of thin walled capillaries called glomerulus.
Renal artery bring nitrogenous wastes (urea) and excess water to glomerulus.
• Glomeruli filter excess water, nitrogenous wastes and some useful substances like glucose,
amino acids water and salts from the blood that is brought to the kidney by renal artery.
• The glomerular filtrate passes from Bowman’s capsule to the tubular part of nephron.
The tubular part is highly coiled and ends as collecting tubules.
• Useful substances like glucose, amino acids, salts and water are selectively reabsorbed
into the blood through the blood capillaries which run all along the length of the tubule.
• Collecting tubules from all the nephrons join to form a collecting duct which comes out of
the kidney as ureter.
• The liquid left behind is urine.
Note : The amount of water reabsorbed depends on How
much excess water there is in the body and
How much dissolved waste there is, to be excreted.
Note : If the kidney gets damaged by any reason then the blood is filtered artificially by a
process called dialysis. This process is done in a machine called dialyser or dialysis machine.
This machine is filled with dialysis solution and also has a network of membranes made of
semi permeable membranes. The blood is drawn out from the body through an artery passed
through a network of tubes. All the metabolic wastes diffuse out of the blood into the dialysis
solution and the filtered blood is sent back into the body through a vein.
EXCRETION IN PLANTS
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1. Excretory products in plants like oxygen, carbon dioxide, water which are formed during
photosynthesis and respiration are removed out through stomata.
2. Ammonia which is an excretory product is reused by plants to synthesize certain us eful
products.
3. Plants shed their leaves and bark to get rid of wastes collected in them.
4. Plants also will get rid of waste material through roots by diffusing them into the soil.
5. Resins, latex, gums, tannins, alkaloids etc. are also excreted by plants.
