Excretion in Humans
Excretion is the process of removal of metabolic waste material and other non-useful substances.
Organisms like animals have an advanced and specialized system for excretion.
But plants lack a well-developed excretory system like that in animals.
They do not have special organs for excretion, and thus excretion in plants is not so complex.
Excretory System of Humans
The excretory system in humans includes a pair of kidneys, a pair of ureters, a urinary bladder and
urethra.
It produces urine as a waste product.
Kidneys
- Paired kidneys are the main excretory organs of the body.
- They are basically the filtration units of the human body.
- Each kidney is made up of many tiny filtration units called nephrons.
Functions of kidneys:
- Filtering waste materials, medications, and toxic substances from the blood.
- Regulation of osmolarity (fluid balance).
- Regulation of ion concentration.
- Regulation of pH and extracellular fluid volume.
- Secreting hormones for RBC production, bone health, and blood pressure regulation.
Nephron
- Structural and functional unit of kidney.
- Each nephron has two parts: Malpighian body and renal tubule.
- Malpighian body = Bowman's capsule + glomerulus (filters waste and useful substances).
- Renal tubule = Proximal convoluted tubule, Loop of Henle, Distal convoluted tubule (absorbs
useful substances, filters waste).
- The output = urine.
Haemodialysis
- Used when kidneys fail.
- Uses a dialyzer/artificial kidney to remove excess water, salt, and waste products.
- Blood flows through tubes with semipermeable membrane.
- Dialysate draws impurities through membrane.
Excretion in Plants
- Metabolic reactions produce excretory products: CO2, excess water, nitrogenous compounds.
- Plants excrete gases: oxygen (photosynthesis), CO2 (respiration).
- Gases exit through stomatal pores on leaves.
- O2 from photosynthesis used in respiration; CO2 from respiration used in photosynthesis.
- Excess water is lost via transpiration.
- Organic waste (gums, oils, latex, resins) is stored in bark, stems, leaves and eventually shed.
- Some plants excrete waste into the soil.
Examples: oils (orange, eucalyptus, jasmine), latex (rubber tree, papaya), gums (acacia).
