By Erin Murphy and

Jeffrey Edgecomb

Excretory System

• Gets rid of waste

• Eliminates useless byproducts excreted from cells

• Destroys harmful chemical buildups

• Maintains a steady and balanced chemical concentration

Function of Excretory System

Skin:

• Sweat glands in the skin secrete a fluid waste called perspiration

• Sweat helps regulate the body’s concentration and keep it cool

Lungs:

• Diffuse gaseous wastes, such as carbon dioxide from the bloodstream as a normal part of respiration

• Maintain life supporting levels of carbon dioxide and oxygen

Kidneys:

• Blood passes through the kidneys to deposit used and unwanted water, minerals, and a nitrogen-rich molecule called urea

• Filters waste from the blood and produces urine

Liver:

• Regulates glycogen storage, plasma protein synthesis, and drug detoxification

• Secretes bile

• Converts toxic ammonia into urea

Major Organs and Their Functions

Urinary Bladder:

• Stores urine

Bile:

• Substance produced by the liver used to break down fats, ethanol and acidic wastes

Urethra:

• Carries the urine from the bladder out the body

Eccrine:

• Eccrine glands secrete mostly salt and water used to control temperature

Large Intestine (Colon):

• Removes solid waste from the body, and collects water from the waste to be reused

Major Organs and Their Functions Continued

• Processes about 200 quarts of blood and produces about 2 quarts of waste per day

• Produces urine which is transported to the bladder through ureters

• If the kidneys didn’t remove waste from the blood it would build up and damage the body

• Kidney contains tiny capillaries called nephrons that remove waste from the blood

• Nephrons also measure certain chemicals and release the right amount back into the blood

Kidney

Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are hard masses that form in the urinary tract from crystals that have separated from the urine. The exact cause of kidney stones is unknown, but those with certain genetic disorders, kidney disorders and reoccurring urinary tract infections are more likely to develop kidney stones.

Urethritis is an inflammation of the urethra caused by a bacterial or viral infection. Symptoms of urethritis vary between sexes. A symptom in men can be seen as blood in the urine or semen or even a discharge containing puss. In women, abdominal pain, pain during urination and fever may occur.

Urethritis

Circulatory:

Blood that circulates through the body passes through one of the two kidneys. Urea, uric acid, and water are removed from the blood and most of the water is put back into the system

Endocrine:

Monitors levels of compounds and fluids

Kidney function must be constantly altered to provide the best internal environment for your cells

If too much water is present, hormones are released that allow for more urine production. If the body is dehydrated, less urine will be produced

Adrenal gland position on the top of each kidney. Adrenals release adrenaline into your body

How it Works with Other Systems

Major Organs Diagram

The liver converts toxic ammonia to urea and releases it into the blood.

Blood circulates through the kidney and the kidney collects waste from the blood using nephrons.

Nephrons produce urine with the excess waste and process necessary chemicals back into the blood.

Urine is carried to the urinary bladder through ureters and exits through the urethra

Bile helps breaks down solid waste and the large intestine or colon removes the solid waste from the body and reuses excess water

Waste Removal

• The average person releases 305 pounds of feces a year

• The average person pees about 3,000 times a year

• The average adult bladder can hold 16-24 ounces of urine

• Water forms 95% of urine

• An estimated 7,850,000,000,000 gallons of fluid passes through the bladder and out through the urethra in an average person’s lifetime

5 Fun Facts

• "THE EXCRETORY SYSTEM." Excretory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013

• "Google." Google. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

• “EXCRETION IS NOT ELIMINATION." Biology4Kids.com: Animal Systems: Excretory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

• "Common Excretory System Diseases." LIVESTRONG.COM. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 May 2013.

• "Diagrams - The Excretory System." The Excretory System. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.

• "The Excretory System." ThinkQuest. Oracle Foundation, n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.

• "National Kidney and Urologic DiseasesInformation Clearinghouse (NKUDIC)." The Kidneys and How They Work Page. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 May 2013.

Bibliography