Excretion in Humans Flashcards
Topic 2 i. 2
many of the necessary metabolic reactions that take place in the cells of organisms produce
waste products
excretion is
the removal of metabolic waste products from the body
waste product found in the lungs
carbon dioxide
main roles of the kidney (2)
- removal of urea from blood
- adjustment of ion (salt) levels in the blood
waste product found in the skin
sweat
excretory products of the kidney
urea, ions and water
how do the kidneys carry out their main functions
by filtering stuff out of the blood under high pressure, and then reabsorbing the useful things.
what is the end product
urine
process of ultrafiltration
- blood from the renal artery flows through the glomerulus
- a high blood pressure squeezes water, urea and ions and glucose out of the blood and into the bowmans capsule
- the membranes between the bowmans capsule and the blood vessels act like filters so big molecules (proteins) and blood cells aren’t squeezed out and stay in the blood.
what is the filtered liquid called after ultrafiltration
glomerular filtrate
process of selective reabsorption
after the glomerular filtrate enters the bowmans capsule, glucose is the first substance to be reabsorbed at the proximal convoluted tube.
- all the glucose is reabsorbed from the proximal convoluted tubule so that it can be used in respiration. This happens through active transport
- sufficient ions are reabsorbed, not the excess ones
why is it called selective reabsorption
because only a selective few substances are reabsorbed
water reabsorption process
water is reabsorbed from the collecting duct in different amounts depending on how much water the body needs at a time
why is water reabsorption important/ needed
because the water is needed for osmoregulation
once out of the nephron where does urine go
nephron
through ureter
down to the bladder where it is stored
released by urethra
what is urea
a toxic waste product
where is urea produced
liver
what is urea made from
excess amino acids
what is osmoregulation
the process of maintaining water and salt concentrations across membranes within the body
why is osmoregulation important
maintaining water levels in the body is vital to prevent harmful changes occurring to cells of the body as a result of osmosis
what is one way that the body can balance the water coming in against the water going out?
by adjusting the amount of water that is excreted by the kidneys in the urine,
if a person is sweating a lot or hans’t drunk enough water, the kidneys can reabsorb more water so that less is lost in the urine and water balance is maintained
if body cells lose or gain too much water by osmosis what happens to them?
they do not function properly
what can too much water in the cells lead to
cells swelling as water moves into them, this has a diluting effect and can lead to cell lysis (bursting)
what can too little water in the cells lead to
cells lose water by osmosis as there is a too high concentration of ions and this has a dehydrating effect and can lead to cell death
where can water being lost be controlled and where can it not be controlled
cannot be controlled in the lungs or skin
can be controlled in the production of urine by the kidneys
what body part produces urea
liver
crenation
dehydrated cells
lysis
bursting of cells / excess water in cells