CHAPTER 3

EXCRETION

INTRODUCTION
Many

chemical
reactions in the body
produce waste
products.
The body needs to
remove these waste
products to stay
healthy.

Like rubbish,
waste
products are
toxic. We
need to
remove
them from
our body

DEFINITION
The

process of removing waste

products, produced during
chemical processes in cells is
called EXCRETION.
Excretion helps to remove wastes
produced by cells.
If wastes are not removed, toxic
substances build up and these
can damage organs in the body.
This can lead to death.

Excretory organs and excretory

products.
Organ : Skin
Products : By
Sweating
(water,
urea,
mineral
salts)
Organ
: Lungs
Products : By
Respiration
(water, carbon
dioxide)
Organ
: Kidneys
Products : By
Urination
(water,
urea, mineral salts)

What is urea and urine???

Urea

are waste
from your body,
and it comes in
particular from our
kidney. (major
organic
component found
in human urine)
Urine, is urea and
water, and that is
what comes out of

The importance of
excretion
Helps to maintain a healthy body.
(respiration) CO
Carbon dioxide from respiration
must be removed quickly
because a high level of this gas
will increase the acidity of the
blood.
Example:

The importance of
excretion

(sweating) urea
Urea , if left to accumulate in
the body, will become toxic.
Example:

(urination) water
and mineral salts
Helps to maintain the balance
of water content, chemical
composition and pH in the body
system.
Example:

Question And Answer

Why do we need
to excrete urea?

Urea is formed
from excess
amino acids.
The
accumulation of
excess urea can
harm our body.

What

if there is too much carbon

dioxide in our blood?

A high level of
carbon dioxide
can reduce the
pH of blood
and make it
acidic.

Why does our body

need to maintain
the salt content in
blood?

Excessive

mineral salts
can increase the
concentration of
blood and make

After the sweat

evaporates from
the skin, I feel
cooler. Excretion
controls my
body
temperature.

Excretion helps to
regulate and balance the
level of water content in
our body.

THE URINARY SYSTEM IN

HUMANS
What

does the human urinary system

consist of?

Human urinary system

is made up of:
Kidneys
Bladder
Ureter
Urethra
These

part helps to remove waste

products like urea, water and mineral
salts.

The Human Urinary

System

Function.
Kidney
Excretory organ
that removes
wastes like urea,
water and
mineral salts
from the blood
into the urine.
Urethra
Tube that
carries urine
from the
bladder for
removal

Ureter
Tube that
carries urine
from the kidney
to the bladder

Bladder
Temporary
storage for
the urine
before
removal

Structure of
the kidney
Bean
shape
d

2 parts :
cortex
and
medulla

Kidne
ys

Size
of a
fist

Outer transparent
coat of kidney :
fairly tough
capsule

Kidney
When

the kidney is cut

longitudinally, it is seen to consist
of 2 parts;
(outer darker
protective part)

Cortex
Makes up about
1/3 of the kidney
kidney
Inner layer
Medulla

Forms several
pyramids which
open into a saclike cavity called
pelvis

Kidney
From

the pelvis, a long narrow

tube called the ureter, leads to
the bladder.

Function of the Kidney

Most

important function:

To filter blood and remove urea,

excess mineral salts and water
to form urine.

Others:

Regulate the water and chemical

balance in the body.

Continue
The

amount of water that is

reabsorbed depends on the
amount of water required in the
body.
If the body has too much water,
reabsorption will be less.
The urine produced will be
diluted.
When body system lacks water,
more water will be reabsorbed

Q: Why does
our urine
sometimes
appear dark
yellowish?

A: Well, it means that your

body lacks water. The urine
becomes more
concentrated because more
water is reabsorbed into
the blood.

Importance of maintaining
healthy kidneys
We must avoid taking excessive salt,
sugar, drugs and alcohol that can
harm the kidneys.
To maintain healthy kidneys, we need
to drink plenty of water every day.
Kidneys excrete harmful substances
from our body. Therefore we must
look after the kidneys.

How can people with kidney

failure be saved?
Kidney

failure is a common
disease nowadays.
Although we can live with only
one kidney, failure of both can
result in death.
However, kidney
failure can be treated
through dialysis or
kidney transplant.

Dialysis
Common

treatment for kidney

failure and is carried out with the
is dialysis?
use of a What
machine.
Dialysis is a technique of
separating particles of
different sizes in a liquid
mixture.

In

dialysis, blood is filtered

through an artificial membrane in
the dialysis machine.

How does a dialysis machine

work?
Works

like an artificial kidney.

Blood flows out from the
artery

Waste products diffuse

from the blood into the
dialysis fluid through the
pores in the tubing

The purified blood

returns to the vein of the
patient

patients blood need to pass

through the dialysis machine
many times to make sure all
wastes are removed.
The patient must be connected
to the machine for about 5 hours,
2 or 3 times a week.
Dialysis not cheap.
Dialysis does not cure the
damaged kidney

Excretio
n in
Plants

Shedding
flowers

in
d
ite es
s
po leav
e
D he
t

Simple
diffusion

Shedding
bark

Retained in
the plant
body

Diffusion into the

soil

She
ddin
g
leav
es

Storage in
specialized cells