The excretory system Flashcards
What structures of the body make up the excretory system?
Urinary System, Sweat glands, Respiratory System
What is the waste product of making energy from a protein called?
nitrogenous waste
Is CO2 and nitrogenous waste toxic?
Yes, that’s why they must be expelled.
What is the purpose of the urinary system?
Filter blood to remove nitrogenous waste, and excess water, minerals, and salts.
What organs are involved in the urinary system?
kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra
What is the kidney’s function?
Filter blood coming in from the renal artery is balanced.
What is the name of the filtration units in the kidney?
nephrons
What does the waste removed from the kidney make up (what is it expelled by) ?
urine
What does urine consist of?
Mostly of water, nitrogenous waste, minerals, salts, vitamins, and urochrome.
What is urnochrome, what is it produced by?
The pigment that gives urine its yellow color, produced by the destruction of hemoglobin from old RBC.
What color should urine be, what color is dehydration?
pale yellow, dehydration: dark yellow
What is the function of the ureters?
transport urine from the kidneys to the bladder
What is the function of the bladder?
It stores urine until it is ready to be expelled, and it contains a sphincter muscle
What is the function of a sphincter muscle, in the context of urine?
It contracts to stop involuntary urine through the urethra (in general, it’s a muscle that opens and closes).
What is the urethra?
tube that carries urine from the bladder to the outside of the body: different in men (longer) than in women
What is a UTI?
Urinary Tract Infections (in bladder or urethra)
What causes a UTI?
Occurs when bacteria (E.coli: poop) from the anus make their way into the urethra.
What is homeostasis, and why is it important?
regulation and maintenance of constant internal conditions in an organism: making sure everything is balanced with one another.
How do the systems work together?
respiratory system brings oxygen into lungs while digestive system absorbs glucose from food you eat, then circulatory system carries both oxygen and glucose to your cells where cellular respiration occurs after that the waste from cellular respiration exits by the excretory system which expels the nitrogenous waste (urine)
