Excretory
Excretory
Excretory
Useful Materials
Useless Materials
Metabolic Waste
Useful Products Products (urea and
CO2)
Excreted
VERTEBRATES EXCRETORY
There are four main excretory organs:
Lungs
Colon
Skin
Kidneys
Motor Nerve
Stimulates bladder
nerve
Bladder
Stores urine
Urethra
Carries urine from
bladder to outside the
body
Found in abdominal cavity below the diaphragm, near the
posterior, on either side of the vertebral column.
Kept in position with connective tissue, the peritoneum, as
well as renal blood vessels. They are wedged in with other
organs.
Externally they are bean-shaped, dark red and the size of a
large bar of soap.
The inner, concave border is called the hilum.
Surrounded by three layers of protective tissue:
A tough, fibrous renal capsule on the surface protects them from
disease.
A middle layer of adipose tissue cushions them against blows.
An outer layer of fibrous connective tissue, the renal fascia, anchors
the kidneys to surrounding structures.
Nephro
n
Renal Capsule
Protects kidney
Papilla
Tips of each pyramid, fits into
calyx
Renal artery
Carries blood to kidneys
Renal vein
Carries blood fromkidneys
Pyramid
Made up of collecting
ducts
Calyx
Collects urine from collecting
ducts
Medulla
Made up of pyramids
Ureter
Carries urine from pelvis to
bladder for storage
The kidney needs to have a constant supply of blood in order
to control the composition of body fluids.
The renal artery, a branch from the aorta, enters the
kidney at the hilum. It supplies blood rich in nitrogenous
waste, oxygen and nutrients.
The renal vein carries purified, deoxygenated blood to the
inferior vena cava, and then to the heart.
A passive, non selective process.
Fluids and solutes are forced through the glomerular
membrane by hydrostatic pressure.
The glomerular filtrate has the same composition as blood,
without the blood cells and plasma proteins. These are too
large to fit through the glomerular membrane.
Substances in glomerular filtration: Blood plasma without
protein molecules which includes:
Useful substances – water, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, hormones,
and ions.
Waste substances – e.g. nitrogenous waste such as urea, uric acid and
creatinine.
Glomerular Filtration
The fluid part of the blood is filtered from the glomerulus into
the cavity of the Bowman’s capsule.
Tubular Reabsorption
As the fluid flows along the renal tubule, useful substances
are reabsorbed back into the bloodstream according to the
body’s needs.
Tubular Excretion
In addition, certain unwanted substances in the blood are
actively excreted into the tubules.
Occurs in the loop of Henle.
Substances are reabsorbed in the following ways:
Active reabsorption
Passive reabsorption
This is the process by which substances are reabsorbed.
Carrier molecules on the microvilli join up with certain
molecules from the filtrate and actively transport them
through the epithelial cells to the blood.
Energy from ATP is used to join the molecule to the
carrier molecule. The following are actively reabsorbed:
All organic nutrients such as glucose, amino acids and water
soluble vitamins are completely reabsorbed.
Sodium ions and fat soluble vitamins are selectively reabsorbed,
according to the needs of the body.
Passively = no energy needed.
About 65% of the water is passively reabsorbed from
the filtrate in the proximal convoluted tubule by
osmosis.
Chloride ions passively follow the path of sodium
ions.
Urea, uric acid and creatinine is not reabsorbed.
Takes place in proximal and distal tubules and is
reabsorption in reverse.
The following molecules and ions are taken from the
blood and deposited into the filtrate:
Hydrogen and potassium ions (secreted directly)
Creatinine and uric acid
Drugs, preserves and colourants (actively excreted)
About 96% of urine is water.
1.5% is salts, mainly sodium chloride.
Urea makes up 2%
Small quantities of drugs, colourants, hormones and
preservatives.
About 1.5 litres of urine is produced daily.
Maintain homeostasis in the following ways:
Excreting nitrogenous waste
Osmoregulation – water and salts
Maintain pH of body fluids
Maintain electrolytic (salt) balance of body fluids by
absorbing and/or secreting ions.
Common Kidney Diseases