Excretion Flashcards
Define excretion
Removal of metabolic waste from the body
Excretion of CO2 from lungs:
Transported in blood as HCO3-
CO2 + H2O -> H2CO3
Carbonic acid dissociates into H+ + HCO3- (carbonic anhydrase)
H+ combine with Hb to form haemoglobinic acid; other CO2 form carbaminohaemoglobin
Toxic products are harmful because:
Alter pH - prevent normal metabolic reaction (eg co2, nh3)
Inhibitors - reduce activity of essential enzymes
Toxins can be made harmless by:
Oxidation, reduction, methylation, combination with other molecule
Deamination
Amino acid + oxygen -> keto acid + ammonia
Liver functions:
Control of blood glucose levels, amino acid levels, lipid levels
Synthesis of bile, plasma proteins, cholesterol
Synthesis of rbcs in foetus
Storage of vit a, d, b12, iron, glycogen
Detoxification of drugs, alcohol
Breakdown of hormones
Destruction of rbcs
Function of hepatic artery:
Carry oxygenated blood from the aorta to liver (high in excretory products)
Function of hepatic portal vein:
Carry deoxygenated blood from the digestive system which is rich in the products of digestion to liver
Function of hepatic vein:
Blood leaves liver through hepatic vein and rejoins vena cava (low in excretory products)
Liver lobules are shaped:
Cylindrical
Name the intra-lobular vessel:
(Branch of) hepatic vein
{{found in centre of each lobule}}
What is a sinusoid?
Specialised capillary; a chamber lined with liver cells where blood from branch of hepatic portal vein and h artery mix.
Tissue lining sinusoids:
Endothelial
{{remember sinusoids are specialised capillaries}}
Features of liver cells/ hepatocytes:
Cuboidal shape lined with many microvilli; cytoplasm dense with RER for protein synthesis (enzymes), mitochondria for ATP for active processes
Function of Kupffer cells:
Specialised macrophages that move within sinusoids; breakdown/ recycle old rbcs which produces bilirubin (one of bile pigments)
Enzyme catalase in detoxification by liver:
Converts hydrogen peroxide to oxygen and water
Enzyme cytochrome P450 in detoxification by liver:
Group of enzymes used to breakdown drugs (inc. cocaine)
Other metabolic reactions e.g. electron transport during respiration
Detoxification of alcohol:
Ethanol (Ethanol dehydrogenase) (NAD to reduced NAD) Ethanal (Ethanal dehydrogenase) (NAD to reduced NAD) Ethanoic acid Ethanoate Add coenzyme A Acetyl coenzyme A Enters process of aerobic respiration
Why does drinking excess alcohol result in fatty liver?
NAD stores reduced in detoxification of alcohol (beta-oxidation pathway of lipids)
No NAD left for oxidising fatty acids/ lipids
Build up fat in liver due to heavy alcohol consumption:
NAD normally used to oxidise and breakdown fatty acid (resp)
Uses up stores of NAD
Fatty acids converted back to lipids n stored as fat in liver cells
Liver cells have an abundance of which organelles:
Mitochondria
Endoplasmic reticulum (s and e)
Golgi apparatus
Urea is produced by:
Formula:
Liver
CO(NH2)2
Kidneys carry out:
Excretion
Osmoregulation
Inorganic ion balance
Gluconeogenesis (cortex: glucose from aa/glycerol) though this mainly occurs in liver
Secretion of hormones: renin, erythropoietin
How is pressure generated in the glomerulus?
Larger diameter afferent arteriole
Thinner efferent arteriole
{{Bottleneck effect; further construction of efferent a}}
How can pressure inside glomerulus be increased?
Further construction of efferent arterioles in response to hormonal/ nervous signals
How glomerulus is able to perform its function:
Afferent arteriole diameter > efferent;
Build up of/ high, hydrostatic/ blood, pressure;
Endothelium of capillary has fenestrations to allow ultrafiltration
Podocytes are associated with:
Bowman’s capsule
Mechanism of selective reabsorption of glucose and amino acids:
Na+ actively pumped out by Na/K pumps (ATP).
Conc. of Na+ in cytoplasm decreases.
Conc. gradient.
Na+ diffuse in through cotransporter proteins carrying glucose, amino a.
Water moves in osmotically.
Glucose/ aa diffuse into the blood.
Tissue lining the proximal convoluted tubule:
Cuboidal/ columnar epithelial tissue
Conc change in pct fluid:
Selective reabsortion of glucose and amino acids;
Na+ actively pumped out of pct into vasa recta;
Co-transport of glucose and aa/ facilitated diffusion of Na+/ uptake of ions (secondary active transport);
Water follows by osmosis and moves out so conc of ions/ nitrogenous waste (not inc. urea)/ remaining substances increases
Adaptations of pct:
Microvilli; many mitochondria; cotransporter/ Na pumps
Longest part of nephron:
PCT
Conc change in descending limb:
Water potential decreased by addition of mineral ions (diffusion) and removal of water (osmosis).
Conc change in ascending limb:
Cl- actively removed from filtrate to medulla; Na+ follow down electrochemical gradient; walls impermeable to water (no osmosis); low wp; high conc of solutes in medulla
Explain how longer loop of Henlé prevents water loss:
More ions actively transported out of ascending limb into medulla
Builds up greater water potential gradient
Allows reabsorption of more water from the collecting duct
Suggest why desert animals have longer loops of Henlé:
To conserve water - the longer the loop the more water can be reabsorbed
Role of dct:
Regulate blood pH: secreting H+ into filtrate if blood too acidic; HCO3- if too alkaline; may actively pump out Na+ and Cl- follow electrochemical gradient
Effects of kidney failure:
Unable to regulate levels of water/ electrolytes/ remove waste products