Excretion
Excretion
"The biological
process of removal
of harmful
nitrogenous wastes
from the body is
called excretion."
INTRODUCTION
Metabolic reactions occurring in animal body produce certain nitrogen-containing materials which are
of no use in the cells. These are called nitrogenous waste materials. They are formed from breakdown
of proteins and nucleic acids. They become toxic if allowed to accumulate in the body. Therefore, these
materials must be removed from the body for healthy life. The elimination of nitrogenous waste
products from the animal body to regulate the composition of the body fluids and tissues is called
excretion.
Various metabolic activities generate nitrogenous materials which need to be removed. It is an essential
process in all forms of life. It contrasts secretion, where the substance may have specific tasks after
leaving the cell.
Excretory organs / structures in animals:
The organs which remove the waste products of metabolism from the animal body are called excretory
organs. In single-celled organisms, waste products are discharged directly by diffusion through the
surface of the cell. Multicellular organisms utilize more complex excretory methods.
Ammonotelic organisms are those which excrete ammonia e.g., most aquatic animals like bony
fishes, tadpole stage in frog.
Ureotelic organisms are those which excrete urea e.g., cartilaginous fishes like sharks, frogs and
mammals.
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Uricotelic organism are those which excrete uric acid e.g., reptiles, birds and insects.
There are some other organs, such as lungs, liver, intestine and skin, that remove certain
metabolic waste e.g., CO2, sweat, oil etc. They are known as accessory or additional excretory
organs.
Insects e.g. All
Animals Amoeba Hydra Flatworm Earthworm
cockroach vertebrates
Excretory Cellular Body Protonephridia Malpighian
Nephridia Kidneys
Structures surface surface (flame cells) tubules
Ammonia,
Waste Mainly Ammonia
Ammonia Ammonia Uric acid urea or uric
products ammonia or urea
acid
How does skin helps in the regulation of body temperature?
Explanation
The thin layer of fat cells in the dermis of the skin insulates the body. Contraction of smooth muscles
attached to hairs forms goosebumps and creates an insulating blanket of warm air. Also, sweat
produced by sweat glands uses excess body heat to evaporate, providing a cooling effect.
Excretory system in human :
Human excretory system consists of :
(1) A pair of kidneys (2) A pair of ureters (3) Urinary bladder (4) Urethra
Fig. Human Excretory System
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Biology
(1) Kidney
The main excretory organs of our body are kidneys.
Colour – Dark red
Shape – Bean shaped
Weight – 125–170 gms.
Size – 10–12cm length, 5–7cm breadth,
2–3cm thickness.
Position – Located laterally either sides of
vertebral column.
Function : To remove the poisonous substances like
urea, other waste salts and excess water from the
blood and excrete them in the form of a yellowish
liquid called urine.
External structure Fig. Structure of Kidney
Each kidney is surrounded and covered by a tough, fibrous,
capsule of connective tissues. This capsule is called renal
The human kidney
capsule. Lateral surface of kidney is convex while medial surface are not located at
is concave. On the inner border of each kidney is a depression similar positions due to
presence of liver above
called hilum/hilus. right kidney, so that the
Internal structure right kidney get slightly
lower position.
The internal structure of kidneys can be divided into two parts.
Its outer part is called cortex and inner part is called medulla.
A kidney is composed of numerous microscopic coiled tubules called nephrons, or uriniferous tubules.
(2) Ureters
They are tubes which carry urine to urinary bladder. Each ureter originate from hilum of kidney.
The anterior part of the ureter is broad, like a funnel and called pelvis and its posterior part is in
the form of long tubule.
(3) Urinary bladder
Each ureter opens into the urinary bladder.
It is muscular pear shaped sac. It has thick distensible wall lined by transitional epithelium that
allows expansion.
The contraction of bladder muscles squirts urine out.
(4) Urethra
It is a tubular structure, which extends from the urinary bladder to the outside. It carries the urine
to the outside.
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Pale yellow colour of urine is due to the urochrome
Kidney is the primary
pigment. It is formed in the liver due to the breakdown
excretory organ, its primary
of Haemoglobin. function is removal of
metabolic waste, there by
Urea (main nitrogenous waste in our body) is formed in maintaining homeostasis
liver through ornithine cycle. of body.
Micturition is the term used for urination (Passing out
of urine).
Why is egestion not a part of excretion?
Explanation
Egestion is the elimination of undigested material in solid or semisolid form from the digestive tract
through the anus. Excretion on the other hand is getting rid of metabolic waste formed from the
chemical reactions of the body such as in urine, sweat etc.
Structure of Nephron :
The Nephron is the structural and functional
unit of the kidney. A nephron consists of a
twisted tubule closed at one end, open at the Bowman's Glomerulus
Capsule
other with a network of associated blood
vessels. Each kidney of man is formed of
about one million nephrons. Each nephron Vein
Artery
has a length of about 3 cm. It is differentiated
into 4 regions having different anatomical Loop of
Conducting
Duct
Henle
features and different physiological roles.
The 4 regions of nephron are :
(i) Bowman's capsule Fig. Structure of a nephron
(ii) Proximal convoluted tubule (PCT)
(iii) Loop of Henle
(iv) Distal convoluted tubule (DCT)
(i) Bowman's capsule
It is a large double walled cup. It lies in the renal cortex. It contains a tuft of capillaries called
glomerulus and the outer wall is continuous with the rest of the nephron. The space between the
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Biology
two walls of the Bowman's capsule is continuous with the lumen of the next part of the nephron.
The bowman's capsule and the glomerulus together constitutes the renal corpuscle or malpighian
body.
(ii) PCT
It starts from the back of the Bowman's capsule and it is highly convoluted. It lies in the renal
cortex. The wall consists of a single layer of cuboidal cells bearing a lot of microvilli on the surface.
(iii) Loop of Henle
It is a U shaped segment of the nephron located in the renal medulla. It consists of two straight
parallel limbs, a descending limb which is a continuation of the PCT and enters into the renal
medulla and an ascending limb which re-enters the renal cortex and joins the DCT.
(iv) DCT
It is greatly twisted like the PCT and lies in the renal cortex. The terminal relatively short part of
the DCT is called the collecting tubule. It opens into the collecting duct. The collecting ducts
receive the collecting tubules of several nephrons.
The process of maintaining the right amount of water and proper ionic balance in the body is
called osmoregulation. The hormones that regulate the function of kidney are ADH (Anti diuretic
hormone) and aldosterone. ADH or vasopressin is released from the pituitary gland and
aldosterone is released from adrenal gland.
Physiology of excretion:
Kidney filter all of the blood that comes from the heart
forming urine. The process of cleaning takes place in the
Winter, less water used
nephrons present in kidneys in three stages. They are For metabolism
ultrafiltration, reabsorption, and tubular secretion.
More blood volume
(1) Ultrafiltration : The first step in clearing the blood is
Less conc. of ADH
filtration under pressure, the passage of a liquid through
Less permeability of DCT
a filter to remove impurities. Filtration occurs in the
glomeruli. Blood pressure helps plasma (the liquid Less reabsorption of H2O
into
portion of the blood) to pass through the capillary walls blood capillaries
in the glomerulus. Glomerular capillaries are more More urine formed
permeable than other capillaries. The filtrate contains
water, glucose, amino acids, ions and urea.
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Normally in a healthy adult, the initial filtrate in the kidneys is about 180L daily. However the
volume actually excreted is only a litre or two a day because the remaining filtrate is reabsorbed
in the renal tubules.
(2) Reabsorption: During reabsorption, substances considered necessary in the filtrate are
reabsorbed by renal tubules which then travel back into the bloodstream. Maximum reabsorption
occurs in PCT because of the presence of microvilli.
(3) Tubular secretion : Passage of unwanted substances out of the capillaries directly into the renal
tubules is called as tubular secretion. This is an additional way of getting waste materials into the
urine.
kidney stones (Nephrolithiasis) is formed due to crystallization or precipitation of uric acid or
oxalate of minerals and waste materials found in urine. They grow & become a painful irritant
that may require surgery or ultrasound treatments.
(2)
Proximal
Efferent convoluted
arteriole tubule
(1) Glomerulus
Malpighian
body Bowman's
capsule
(3)
Afferent Distal convoluted
arteriole tubule
Collecting
Branch of tubule
renal vein Collecting
duct
Branch of
renal artery Descending limb
of loop of Henle
Opening of
other Nephron
Ascending limb
of loop of Henle
Fig. : Working of nephron
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Biology
How does kidney help in regulating the pH of our body?
Explanation
The kidneys provide a slower but more powerful means to regulate pH. They excrete or absorb
hydrogen ions (H+) and bicarbonate ions (HCO ) as necessary for adjusting pH of blood.
1
Summers, more water
used for
1. Name the U-shaped part of nephron. metabolism
2. Name the homeostatic organ of our body. Less blood volume
3. What is the main function of kidney?
More conc. of ADH
Artificial Kidney or Hemodialysis
The blood of a person having both kidney failure can be More permeability of DCT
cleaned regularly by using kidney machine (or dialysis More reabsorption of H2O
into blood capillaries
machine). The procedure used for cleaning the blood of
person by separating the nitrogenous waste substance (urea) Less urine formed
from it is called dialysis.
Artificial kidney called hemodialyzer, is a machine that
is used to filter the blood of a person whose kidneys are damaged. The process is called
haemodialysis.
The blood from an artery in the patient's arm is made to flow into the dialyzer or dialysis machine made
of long tubes of semipermeable membrane (like cellophane which are coiled in a tank containing
dialyzing solution). The dialyzing solution contains water, glucose and salts in similar concentrations to
those in normal blood. It does not have urea. As the patient's
The nephron cleans all
blood passes through the dialyzing solution, most of the wastes your body blood in 45
like urea present in it pass through the semipermeable minutes. Everyday
nephron sends about six
cellphone tubes into the dialyzing solution by diffusion. The cups of urine to urinary
clean blood is pumped back into a vein of the patient's arm. bladder. Main component
of urine is water and urea.
Drawbacks of artificial kidney
(i) It involves a great deal of discomfort and a risk of
formation of blood clots.
(ii) It may cause fever, cardiovascular problems and hemorrhage.
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Fig. Hemodialysis
What do you mean by organ donation?
Explanation
Organ donation is a generous act of donating an organ to a person who suffers from nonfunction of
organ(s). Donation of an organ may be done by the consent of the donor and his/her family. Anyone
regardless of age or gender can become an organ and tissue donor. Organ transplants can save or
transform the life of a person. Transplantation is required because recipient’s organ has been damaged
or has failed by disease or injury. In organ transplantation the organ is surgically removed from one
person (organ donor) and transplanted to another person (the recipient). Common transplantations
include corneas, kidneys, heart, liver, pancreas, lungs, intestines and bone marrow. Most organ and
tissue donations occur just after the donor has died or when the doctor declares a person brain dead.
But some organs such as kidney, part of a liver, lung, etc., and tissues can be donated while the donor
is alive.
1. Loop of Henle.
2. Kidney.
3. Excretion and Osmoregulation.
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Biology
Excretion in plants
In plants no definite excretory system or organ is present for
removal of wastes. The excretory products which are easily The plant get rid of stored
solid and liquid wastes by
diffusible are removed by way of diffusion or osmosis. In
the shedding of leaves,
higher plants waste materials are deposited in various body peeling of bark and felling
of fruits.
parts, which are later eliminated.
The main waste products produced by plants are carbon
dioxide, water vapour and oxygen.
CO2 and water are produced as wastes during respiration by plants.
CO2 produced during respiration in day time is all used by the plant itself in photosynthesis. Plants
excrete oxygen as a waste only during day time.
The gaseous wastes of respiration and photosynthesis in plants are removed through the stomata in
leaves and lenticels in woody stem into the atmosphere.
Oxygen is produced as a waste during photosynthesis. Plants get rid of excess water by transpiration.
Many plant waste products are stored in cellular vacuole.
Plants also store some of the waste products in their body parts (leaves, bark and fruits). e.g., Tannins,
essential oils, latex, gums, resins.
Aquatic plants lose most of their metabolic wastes by direct diffusion into water surrounding
them.
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