Excretion

Question 1

What does the hepatic artery do?

Answer 1

Supplies the liver with oxygenated blood from the heart, so the liver has a good supply of oxygen for respiration, providing plenty of energy.

Question 2

What does the hepatic vein do?

Answer 2

Takes deoxygenated blood away from the liver

Question 3

What does the hepatic portal vein do?

Answer 3

Brings blood from the duodenum and ileum (parts of the small intestine), so it’s rich in the products of digestion. This means any ingested harmful substances are filtered out and broken down straight away.

Question 4

What does the bile duct do?

Answer 4

Takes bile (a substance produced by the liver to emulsify fats) to the gall bladder to be stored.

Question 5

What do Kupffer cells do?

Answer 5

Remove bacteria and breakdown old red blood cells.

Question 6

What does a canaliculi do?

Answer 6

Drains bile into bile duct

Question 7

What do sinusoids do?

Answer 7

Connects the hepatic artery and the hepatic portal vein to the centeral vein

Question 8

What is excretion?

Answer 8

Removing the waste products of metabolism from the body.

Question 9

What are the three main processes that the liver is involved in?

Answer 9

The storage of glycogen
The formation of urea
Detoxification

Question 10

What is detoxification?

Answer 10

When the liver breaks down harmful substances like alcohol, drugs and unwanted hormones into less harmful compounds that the body can excrete.

Question 11

What does the liver do to alcohol?

Answer 11

Alcohol is a toxic substance that can damage cells. The liver breaks it down into ethanal, which is then broken down into a less harmful substance called acetic acid.

Question 12

What can excess alcohol cause over a long period of time?

Answer 12

Can lead to cirrhosis of the liver- which is when cells of the liver die and scar tissue blocks blood flow.

Question 13

What does the liver do to paracetamol?

Answer 13

A common painkiller that is broken down by the liver.

Question 14

What can excess paracetamol in the blood lead to?

Answer 14

Liver and kidney failure

Question 15

How does the liver store glycogen?

Answer 15

The liver converts excess glucose in the blood to glycogen and stores it as granules in its cells until the glucose is needed for energy.

Question 16

What are the two functions that the kidneys are reponsible for?

Answer 16

As an osmoregulatory organ- they regulate the water content of the blood (vital for maintaining blood pressure)
And…
As an excretory organ- they excrete the toxic waste products of metabolism (such as urea) and substances in excess of requirements (such as salts)

Question 17

What is the function of the renal artery?

Answer 17

Carries oxygenated blood (containing urea and salts) to kidneys

Question 18

What is the function of the renal vein?

Answer 18

Carries deoxygenated blood (that has had urea and excess salts removed) away from kidneys

Question 19

What is the function of the ureter?

Answer 19

Carries urine from kidneys to bladder

Question 20

What is the function of the bladder?

Answer 20

Stores urine (temporarily)

Question 21

What is the function of the urethra?

Answer 21

Releases urine outside of the body

Question 22

What is the tough outer layer of the kidney called?

Answer 22

Fibrous capsule

Question 23

What are the 3 main areas of the kidney?

Answer 23

The cortex, the medulla and the renal pelvis

Question 24

What does the cortex contain?

Answer 24

The glomerulus, the Bowman’s capsule, proximal convoluted tubule (PCT) and the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) of the nephrons.

Question 25

What does the medulla contain?

Answer 25

The loop of Henle and the collecting duct of the nephrons

Question 26

What is the renal pelvis?

Answer 26

Where the ureter joins the kidney

Question 27

Where does ultrafiltration take place?

Answer 27

The Bowman’s capsule

Question 28

What creates high pressure in the glomerulus?

Answer 28

The arteriole entering the glomerulus (from afferent arteriole) is wider in diameter than the capillary leaving the glomerulus (the efferent arteriole), resulting in high blood pressure within the glomerulus.

Question 29

What is the glomerulus?

Answer 29

Where the arterioles branch off the renal artery and lead to each nephron and form a knot of capillaries, they sit inside the cup-shaped Bowman’s capsule.

Question 30

What does the high blood in the glomerulus cause to happen?

Answer 30

Causes smaller molecules being carried in the blood to be forced out of the capillaries of the glomerulus and into the Bowman’s capsule, where they form filtrate.

Question 31

How is the blood in the glomerular capillaries seperated from the lumen of the Bowman’s capsule?

Answer 31

Two layers with a basement membrane inbetween them.