Excretion - The Urinary System & It's Disorders Doctor-dr

Excretion

Excretion is the process of removing waste from the blood, tissues, and cells. The compounds that must be removed are those that the body cannot utilise after metabolism, such as urea. The chemical urea [yoo REE uh] is a byproduct of protein breakdown. Water, carbon dioxide, and salts are examples of other wastes. The skin, lungs, liver, intestines, and, most significantly, the kidneys are the organs of excretion.

The Urinary System 

Figure 10-12 The structure of the urinary system

The kidneys are placed on either side of your spine, just above your waist, behind your intestines. They have a similar shape to red kidney beans, but are much larger. The urinary system is made up of the kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, as shown in Figure 10-12. Plate Five shows a more thorough representation of the urinary system.

The kidneys are responsible for filtering waste from the blood. The nephron is the kidney's major functional unit. A glomerulus is a network of coiled blood veins found within each nephron. A Bowman's capsule surrounds each glomerulus. The flow of blood in a Bowman's capsule is depicted in Figure 10-13.

Urine is formed when water and waste materials are taken from the blood into the nephron. Urine is a pale yellow liquid that contains urea, water, salts, and other ingredients. Urine then travels slowly via the ureters. The kidneys and the bladder are connected by ureters, which are small muscular tubes. As the bladder fills with urine, the walls of the bladder expand. The bladder's neck muscle is allowed to relax, and pee is pushed into the urethra by the muscular bladder. The urethra is a conduit that connects the bladder and the outer world.

Figure 10 -13 The structure of the kidney and a nephron

Other Excretory Organs

As an excretory organ, the liver is extremely important. The process of eliminating wastes from the blood is started by the living. The liver removes most of the germs and other things that enter the blood from the in testines as blood travels through it. The blood subsequently travels to the kidneys, where it is filtered.

The skin also performs the function of an excretory organ. Sweat glands emit extremely little amounts of waste when you perspire. Water, urea, and salts make up perspiration. As a result, it benefits both parties. To keep your body cool and to get rid of trash.

The gas carbon dioxide is excreted by the lungs as a waste product of metabolism. Oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in the lungs. As you breathe out, carbon dioxide leaves your body through your nose or mouth. The intestines have a part in excretion as well. Water, minerals, dead cells, and fibre are all found in solid waste that leaves the body.

Disorders of the Urinary System

Your urinary system is extremely important to your overall health. Waste products accumulate in the body when it fails to operate properly. Serious illnesses, and even death, may occur as a result. Bacteria and other disease-causing organisms can enter the body from the outside, most commonly via the urethra. Organisms can also reach the kidneys through the blood. Bacteria can proliferate and spread once within the urinary system. This results in inflammation and edoema, which hinders the system from operating normally. Urine with blood or pus indicates an infection or other condition that should be treated. The production of solid material in the kidney is known as kidney stones. If a kidney stone is too large to pass through the ureter, it can cause considerable discomfort as it moves out of the kidney. When the stone falls into the bladder or is discharged out of the body with the urine, the pain normally goes away.

Of the disorders of the urinary system, kidney failure causes the most concern. It may be short-term, caused by another dis ease, a sudden drop in blood pressure, or a blockage in another part of the urinary system. Kidney failure may also develop over a long time and never totally stop the flow of urine. End-stage kidney failure is the most severe condition because wastes are no longer removed from the body.

Hemodialysis is a treatment that people with end-stage renal disease must receive on a regular basis. Hemodialysis is a method of filtering straight through the bloodstream that is widely used. Figure 10-14 shows a specific machine that filters the patient's wastes directly from the blood.

When faced with dialysis, many patients choose to receive a kidney transplant. The damaged kidney is removed and replaced with a healthy kidney from a close relative or someone with similar body tissue in a kidney transplant. To live, most people only require one healthy kidney. Kidney transplants are a common and successful treatment these days.

Gout is a hereditary condition in which the body creates too much uric acid or can't get rid of it. One of the end products of protein digestion is uric acid. When there is too much uric acid in the body, it can build up in many places of the body. Earlobes, elbows, and joints are all typical locations for depositions. A gout episode usually affects the huge toe and is excruciatingly painful. It mostly affects men in their forties and fifties.

Rapid weight loss, excessive food or drink, high-fat diets, and certain medicines are all known to trigger a gout attack. Gout patients are advised to consume little meat, eat less fat, drink plenty of water, and avoid alcoholic beverages, according to doctors. Doctors may give medications to reduce the quantity of uric acid produced in the body, which causes it to malfunction. A tougher tissue, comparable to scar tissue, replaces the liver cells. Cirrhosis of the liver can be caused by illness or poisoning in the body, but alcohol consumption is the most common cause. A diet rich in proteins, carbs, and B vitamins is required for treatment. Cirrhosis of the liver [sih ROH SIS] is a scarring of the liver.

Review of the Lesson

The process of excretion is the removal of metabolic waste products from the body. The kidneys, the skin, the lungs, the liver, and the intestines are all excretory organs. The blood is filtered by the kidneys. The wastes are excreted from the body via the urinary system. Infections in the urinary system are common. If a condition is suspected, it must be treated immediately.