Human Excretory System

Major Excretory Organs

•Lungs
•Large Intestine
•Kidneys
•Liver
•Skin (Integument)
 Lungs and Large Intestine

• Lungs remove carbon dioxide from

the blood
• Large Intestine removes solid waste
(feces) from the body
 Kidneys
• Primary organ of the excretory system
• Filters soluble waste products from the
blood stream
• Major renal vein and renal artery carries
blood to and from the kidney
• Major regions of the kidney include the
cortex (outer layer) and medulla (inner
core)
Kidney (Renal) Anatomy
 Major Filtering Unit of the
Kidney is called the Nephron

The Nephron takes out

wastes from the blood
and returns needed
chemicals back to the
bloodstream. The waste
(dissolved in water) is
collected and transported
to the ureter.
Major Urinary Waste Products

• Ammonia (NH3) is in the form of

Ammonium hydroxide (NH4OH)
• Ammonium hydroxide raises the pH
of the blood and needs to be
eliminated
• Ammonium hydroxide is converted to
urea (major) and uric acid (minor).
• Urea and uric acid are excreted in the
urine
What Happens to the Urine?

• Urine passes through the two ureters

and collects in the urinary bladder
• Urine leaves the bladder by both
involuntary and voluntary control
mechanisms
• Urine leaves the urinary bladder by
the urethra and is eliminated from
the body
 Excretory System Pathologies
• Nephritis can be caused by bacterial infections or an
autoimmune disorder; bloody urine and low urine output
are symptoms
• Nephrosis results in large molecules being lost in the urine
and results in swelling throughout the body
• Urinary tract infections occur in the urinary bladder and
urethra and can normally treated by antibiotics (women
more prone to urinary tract infections)
• Kidney stones (different types) accumulate in the kidney
and cannot be passed through the urinary tract easily;
kidney stones are either passed with significant pain or are
surgically removed
• Gout is a condition where uric acid cannot be adequately
excreted and builds up in the body where it is deposited
into joints resulting in inflammation
 Liver
• Removes excess amino acids from the
blood (amino acids are the molecules that
make up protein) and converts them to
urea which is excreted by the kidneys.
• Liver also breaks down hemoglobin from
old RBCs to form bile (bile helps break
down fats).
• Bacteria from the large intestine are also
cleared by the liver.
 Skin (Integument)
• Composed of two main layers (epidermis
and dermis)
• Also contains hair, nails, sweat glands, and
oil (sebaceous) glands
• Sweat glands get rid of excess salts, urea,
and water (about 0.5 liters per day)
• Evaporation of sweat also helps the body
to keep cool (evaporative cooling)