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G11 Biology > Excretion > Flashcards

Excretion Flashcards

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1
Q

The sum total of all the chemical reactions that take place in a cell.

A

Metabolism.

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2
Q

Why does metabolic waste need to be removed continuously?

A

It will poison the cells and inhibit normal functioning if allowed to accumulate.

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3
Q

How does metabolic waste leave the cells?

A

It diffuses out the cells via the tissue fluid that surrounds them, to the blood vessels.

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4
Q

What is an excretory organ?

A

An organ with the ability to remove waste products.

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5
Q

Where does the blood carry metabolic waste?

A

Excretory organs.

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6
Q

What are the four excretory organs/organ pairs?

A

Lungs.
Kidneys and bladder.
Liver and intestines.
Skin.

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7
Q

What do the lungs excrete?

A

CO2, water vapour and heat.

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8
Q

What do the kidneys and bladder excrete?

A

Urine.

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9
Q

What does urine consist of?

A

Excess water, mineral salts and nitrogenous waste products (namely urea, uric acid and creatinine).

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10
Q

What do the liver and intestine excrete?

A

Urea and bile pigments.

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11
Q

What does the skin excrete?

A

Sweat (via sweat glands).

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12
Q

What does sweat consist of?

A

Excess sweat, salts and a small amount of urea.

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13
Q

What are the origins of metabolic waste?

A

Cellular respiration - CO2 and excess water.
Deamination of amino acids - urea.
Metabolism of nucleic acids - uric acid.
Creatinine phosphate in the cells - creatinine.
Haemoglobin breakdown in the liver - bile pigments.

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14
Q

Which organs makeup the urinary system?

A

2 kidneys, 2 ureters, the bladder and the urethra.

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15
Q

Which two blood vessels are associated with the urinary system?

A

Renal arteries and renal veins.

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16
Q

Where are the two kidneys?

A

In the abdominal cavity, on either side of the vertebral column, just below the diaphragm.

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17
Q

Where do the kidneys receive oxygenated, metabolic waste rich, blood from?

A

The renal arteries.

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18
Q

Which blood vessel carries deoxygenated, purified, blood away from the kidneys?

A

The renal veins.

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19
Q

What do the 2 ureters do?

A

They extend from the kidneys and separately open into the bladder.

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20
Q

What is the structure and function of the kidney?

A

Thin walled muscular sack which temporarily stores urine.

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21
Q

What does the urethra do?

A

Transports urine from the bladder to the exterior.

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22
Q

What controls urine flow to the urethra from the bladder?

A

A sphincter muscle.

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23
Q

Describe the external structure of the kidneys.

A

Dark red, bean-shaped organ with the concave side facing the vertebral column.

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24
Q

What is the hilum?

A

The indentation on the concave side of the kidney where the renal artery enters and the renal vein and ureter leave the kidney.

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25
Q

What is the function of the layer of fat around the kidneys.

A

Protection, insulation and holds them in place.

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26
Q

What is the renal capsule?

A

A connective tissue membrane there for protection.

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27
Q

What is the cortex?

A

A reddish brown region directly under the renal capsule.

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28
Q

What is the medulla?

A

The inner region of the kidney containing the renal pyramids.

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29
Q

What is the renal papilla?

A

The apex of the of each pyramid.

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30
Q

What is the renal calyx(/calyces)?

A

The common tube that the tubes in the renal papilla open into.

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31
Q

What do the renal calyces open into?

A

The renal pelvis, the widened region of the ureter.

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32
Q

What is a nephron?

A

The structural and functional unit of the kidney.

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33
Q

What are the two main parts of the nephron?

A

The Malpighian body and the renal tubule.

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34
Q

What does the Malpighian body consist of?

A

The Bowman’s capsule and the glomerulus.

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35
Q

Where is the Malpighian body situated?

A

On one end of the nephron, in the cortex.

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36
Q

What is the Bowman’s capsule?

A

A double-walled, cup-shaped structure in the Malpighian body.

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37
Q

What is the glomerulus?

A

A network of blood capillaries in the Bowman’s capsule.

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38
Q

What surrounds the capillary blood vessels of the glomerulus?

A

A single endothelial layer (squamous epithelium) with pores between the endothelial cells.

39
Q

Which blood vessel transports blood to the glomerulus?

A

Afferent arteriole.

40
Q

Which blood vessel transports blood away from the glomerulus?

A

Efferent arteriole.

41
Q

What does the inner wall of the Bowman’s capsule consist of?

A

Podocytes.

42
Q

What are podocytes?

A

Cells with projections between which filtration slits occur.

43
Q

What is the cavity of the Bowman’s capsule?

A

The cavity between the inner and outer wall of the Bowman’s capsule.

44
Q

What is the renal tubule?

A

A long convoluted tubule situated partly in the cortex and partly in the medulla.

45
Q

Name the three parts of the renal tubule.

A

The proximal convoluted tubule, the loop of Henle and the distal convoluted tubule.

46
Q

Where is the proximal convoluted tubule situated?

A

Directly after the Bowman’s capsule in the cortex.

47
Q

Where is the renal tubule widest?

A

At the proximal convoluted tubule.

48
Q

What lines the proximal convoluted tubule?

A

A single layer of cuboidal epithelium.

49
Q

Name the parts of the loop of Henle.

A

Descending limb and ascending limb.

50
Q

Where is the loop of Henle situated?

A

In the medulla of the nephron.

51
Q

What does the ascending limb of the loop of Henle connect to?

A

The distal convoluted tubule.

52
Q

What lines the distal convoluted tubule?

A

A single layer of cuboidal epithelium.

53
Q

What does the distal convoluted tubule open into?

A

A collecting duct.

54
Q

Name the duct formed by multiple collecting ducts converging.

A

Ducts of Bellini.

55
Q

Which tubes form the renal pyramids?

A

Ducts of Bellini.

56
Q

The renal artery enters the kidney at the ______.

A

hilum

57
Q

How is oxygenated blood carried to the nephron cortex?

A

The renal artery branches into smaller arteries and extend between the pyramids in the direction of the cortex.

58
Q

The branches of the renal artery continue to branch until they form ______ _______.

A

afferent arterioles

59
Q

Each afferent arteriole leads to a _______.

A

Bowman’s capsule

60
Q

What does the afferent arteriole divide into?

A

The glomerulus.

61
Q

What do the capillaries of the glomerulus merge to form?

A

The efferent arteriole.

62
Q

Why is the afferent arteriole much wider than the efferent arteriole?

A

To maintain high pressure in the blood in the glomerulus.

63
Q

What does the efferent arteriole branch to form?

A

The peritubular capillary network, surrounding the renal tubule.

64
Q

The peritubular capillaries eventually combine to form the _____ _____.

A

renal vein

65
Q

What are the three main processes of the kidney?

A

Glomerular filtration, tubular reabsorption and tubular excretion.

66
Q

Where does glomerular filtration take place?

A

The Malpighian body.

67
Q

What forms an ultrafine filter in the Malpighian body?

A

The thin endothelium with pores lining the blood capillaries of the glomerulus, and the podocyte layer with filtration slits.

68
Q

What is not filtered out of the Malpighian body?

A

Blood cells and plasma proteins.

69
Q

What is the part of the blood that gets filtered into the Bowman’s capsule called?

A

Glomerular filtrate.

70
Q

What useful substances are contained in glomerular filtrate?

A 
Water
Amino acids
Glucose
Vitamins
Mineral salts
71
Q

What waste products are contained in the glomerular filtrate?

A

Urea
Uric acids
Creatine

72
Q

What is the filtration process promoted by?

A

High blood pressure in the glomerulus
Large filtration surface
Permeability of the glomerular membrane

73
Q

What is the function of tubular reabsorption?

A

Preventing useful substances from forming part of urine and being excreted.

74
Q

What are the adaptations of the proximal convoluted tubule for reabsorption?

A

Long and convoluted
Surrounding peritubular capillary network
Many mitochondria in the cuboidal epithelial cells
Cuboidal epithelial cells have finger-like projections

75
Q

All glucose, amino acids and water soluble vitamins are _____ reabsorbed into the peritubular capillary vessels.

A

actively

76
Q

Approximately 66% of water _______ reabsorbed into the peritubular capillaries by _______.

A

passively; osmosis

77
Q

What substance is in high concentration in the medulla?

A

Sodium (Na+).

78
Q

Why does the medulla need a high salt concentration?

A

So that water will passively leave the loop of Henle passively (osmosis).

79
Q

Water moves from a ____ to a _____ water potential.

A

high; low

80
Q

Which limb of the loop of Henle is permeable to water?

A

The descending limb.

81
Q

Which limb of the loop of Henle has sodium ions actively pumped out of it?

A

The ascending limb.

82
Q

What transports sodium ions from the medulla to prevent it becoming too salty?

A

The peritubular capillary network.

83
Q

What is tubular excretion?

A

The process of substances being excreted from the blood in the peritubular capillaries through the epithelium of the renal tubule and added to the filtrate.

84
Q

Where does tubular excretion occur?

A

In the proximal and distal convoluted tubules.

85
Q

Which substances are actively added to the filtrate during tubular excretion?

A 
Hydrogen ions
Potassium ions
Creatine
Urea
Drugs
Preservatives
Colourants
And other foreign substances
86
Q

What is the filtrate called once it’s flowed into the collecting duct?

A

Urine.

87
Q

What does urine consist of?

A

Water
Inorganic salts
Metabolic wastes
Foreign substances

88
Q

Where is the pH of the blood regulated?

A

The distal convoluted tubule.

89
Q

What is the range of the regulated blood pH?

A

7.35 and 7.45.

90
Q

What occurs when the pH in the blood is too low?

A

Secretion of H+ ions from the blood to the tubules.

91
Q

What in the filtrate binds with the H+ ions to act as a buffer?

A

Phosphate compounds.

92
Q

What are H+ ions excreted as in the urine?

A

Hydrogen phosphate.

93
Q

______ _______ prevents the pH in the urine becoming too low (acidic).

A

Hydrogen phosphate.

94
Q

When blood pH becomes too high fewer ______ ions are secreted and more _______ ions are secreted.

A

hydrogen; bicarbonate

G11 Biology (6 decks)

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