Excretory System How Excretion Works Maintaining Excretory Health Excretory System Problems

The excretory system uses several organs to remove all types of wastes from the body. Excretion is the process of removing wastes from the body, waste is produced in the form of solids, liquids, and gases. Lungs expel carbon dioxide when exhale, sweating is another form of excretion, sweat removes excess water and salts through pores, this regulates body temperature, sweat evaporates on the surface of the skin, it cools the body, sweating too much can cause dehydration Solid waste produced in digestive system is eliminated through large intestine, the bacteria that lives in the large intestine converted food into semi-solid mass called feces

Liver removes toxins from the blood, it is the first organ to receive chemicals absorbed from the small intestine, it detoxifies the body by processing and excreting into bile such things as drugs, alcohol, and some cellular waste Urinary system consists of kidneys, bladder, ureters and urethra, main function is to filter waste and extra fluid from the blood, urine is liquid waste material, it consists of water and body wastes that contain nitrogen

Kidneys are bean shaped organs size of fist, near the middle of the back, just below the rib cage, one on each side, remove waste products from the blood through tiny filters called nephrons – functional units of the kidneys, nephrons consists of ball formed of small blood capillaries called a glomerulus, attached to small renal tubule that acts as filtering funnel, kidneys adjust amount of salts, water and other materials excreted according to body’s needs, they monitor and maintain the body’s acid-base and water balances, when the body becomes dehydrated, the pituitary gland releases antidiuretic hormone causes thirst and allows the kidneys to balance the fluid levels

From kidneys, urine travels to bladder through the ureters – tubes that connect the kidneys to the bladder, each ureter is about 8 to 10 inches long, muscles tighten and relax to force urine down and away from the kidneys, this takes about 15 seconds Bladder is a hollow muscular organ located in pelvic cavity, it stores about 2 cups or urine comfortably for two to five hours, sphincter muscle keep urine from leaking, this closes tightly like a rubber band around the opening into the urethra – tube that leads from the bladder to the outside of the body

Healthful behaviors will help keep your excretory system. Drink at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day. Limit your intake of caffeine and soft drinks, which can increase the amount of water lost through urination. Follow a well-balanced eating plan Practice good hygiene to prevent harmful bacteria from causing infection. Get regular medical checkups. Report changes in bowel habits and in the frequency, color, or odor of urine

Excretory system problems commonly result from infection or blockage Disorders can have several different causes, including infection, blockage of urine, or natural aging, two common disorders are: cystitis – inflammation of the bladder, caused by a bacterial infection, if untreated can spread to the kidneys Urethritis – inflammation of the urethra, caused by bacterial infection

Kidney Problems: Nephritis – inflammation of the nephrons Kidney stones – forms when salts in the urine crystallize into solids, stones move into the ureter, may block the passage of urine, smaller stones may pass through, larger ones can be broken up using shock waves, some cases surgery is required Uremia – serious condition associated with decreased blood filtration by kidneys, leading to abnormally high levels of nitrogen waste products remaining in the blood, wastes are poisonous to body cells and can cause tissue damage or death if accumulate

Kidney Failure: lose the ability to function, caused by infection, decreased blood flow, or diseases that damage kidney tissue. This are treatments: Hemodialysis – a technique in which an artificial kidney machine removes waste products from the blood, machine filters the blood, takes three to five hours, done three or four times per week Peritoneal dialysis – peritoneum, thin membrane that surrounds the digestive organs to filter the blood, substances that promotes the removal of toxins enter into the abdomen through a catheter and are drained after filtration is complete Kidney transplant – replacement of a nonfunctioning kidney with a healthy one from an organ donor