The Human Excretory System

Flashcards about the human excretory system, including its organs, processes, and disorders.

Excretory System

Gets rid of wastes and other substances that the body doesn't need.

Two Types of Wastes

Solid waste from the digestive system in the form of feces; Metabolic wastes produced by chemical reactions.

Egestion

Removal of digestive waste.

Excretion

Removal of metabolic waste.

Skin

Allows water, salt, and urea to diffuse from the blood into the sweat glands; Releases sweat through sweat ducts to skin pores.

Lungs

Excretes the waste product of respiration during exhalation; Waste products include carbon dioxide and water vapor.

Liver

Removes excess amino acids from the body; Breaks down amino acids through deamination to form urea.

Kidneys

Major excretory organs that remove most body wastes; Purify blood by filtering out water, salts, digested food particles, and urea in the form of urine.

Kidney

Produces urine.

Ureter

Transports urine toward the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder

Temporarily stores urine.

Urethra

Transports urine out of the body.

Osmoregulation

Process for regulating the concentration of salts and water in bodily fluids to maintain a stable internal environment.

Osmoregulator

Maintains internal solute concentration by relying on pressure-driven filtration.

Kidneys Function

Regulate the amount of water, salts, and other substances in the blood; remove nitrogenous wastes and excess salts from blood.

Ureters

Tubes that carry urine from the pelvis of the kidneys to the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder Function

Stores urine until it is released from the body.

Urethra Function

Tube that carries urine from the urinary bladder to the outside of the body.

Renal Cortex

outer layer of the kidney where the blood is filtered.

Renal Medulla

Middle part of the kidney and contains the collecting ducts which carry filtrate to the pelvis.

Renal Pelvis

Hollow cavity of the kidney where urine accumulates and drains into the ureter.

Nephrons

Filtering units of the kidneys located within the cortex and medulla.

Glomerulus

Mass of thin-walled capillaries in the nephron.

Bowman’s Capsule

Double-walled, cup-shaped structure in the nephron.

Proximal Tubule

Leads from the Bowman’s capsule to the Loop of Henle.

Loop of Henle

Long loop in the nephron which extends into the medulla.

Distal Tubule

Connects the loop of Henle to the collecting duct.

Renal artery

Carries oxygenated blood from the heart to the kidneys.

Afferent arteriole

Smaller blood vessel that branches off from the renal artery and carries blood into the glomerulus within the nephron

Efferent arteriole

Smaller blood vessel that carries blood away from the glomerulus and out of the nephron.

Renal vein

Blood vessel that carries filtered blood away from the kidneys and back to the heart.

Cystitis

Condition in which the bladder has become infected, leading to painful urination and frequent urges.

Urethritis

Condition in which the urethra is infected, leading to painful urination and frequent urges.

Pyelonephritis

Infection that reaches the kidneys.

Kidney Stones

Form when chemicals in the urine precipitate out and form crystals.