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The excretory system's primary function is to maintain homeostasis by removing metabolic waste and excess substances. It includes kidneys, ureters, bladder, and urethra, with kidneys playing a central role through nephrons. Vertebrates and invertebrates have evolved different excretory structures to adapt to their environments, and disorders in this system can severely impact health.
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The excretory system is vital for maintaining homeostasis, which is the maintenance of a stable internal environment in an organism
Urea and Other Nitrogenous Wastes
The excretory system eliminates waste products of metabolism and excess substances, such as urea and other nitrogenous wastes, from the body's fluids
Osmoregulation
The excretory system is responsible for osmoregulation, controlling the levels of water and mineral salts in the body to maintain proper cell and organ function
The kidneys are the central organs of the excretory system, filtering blood to produce urine and regulating the concentration of substances in the body
The bladder stores urine until it is expelled from the body through the urethra
Nephrons are the functional units of the kidneys, filtering blood and regulating substance concentration through processes of selective reabsorption and secretion
During glomerular filtration, blood is forced through the kidneys' glomeruli, filtering out water and small solutes while leaving cells and large proteins in the bloodstream
Tubular reabsorption allows essential nutrients and water to be reabsorbed into the blood
In tubular secretion, additional wastes are added to the filtrate in the tubules, resulting in urine that contains waste products to be excreted from the body
Vertebrate excretory systems have evolved to adapt to different environmental conditions, such as mammals' ability to concentrate or dilute urine to maintain water balance
Invertebrates have a variety of excretory structures, such as flatworms' protonephridia and insects' Malpighian tubules, to meet their specific needs in different environments
Kidney stones, or crystalline aggregates, can obstruct the urinary tract
Urinary tract infections are caused by microbial invasion of the excretory system's components
Uremia is a serious condition resulting from kidney failure, leading to the accumulation of waste products in the blood
Nephritis is the inflammation of the kidneys
Urinary incontinence is the inability to control urination
00
To prevent toxic levels of harmful compounds, the ______ system removes substances like ______ and other nitrogenous wastes.
excretory
urea
01
Central role of kidneys in excretory system
Kidneys filter blood, produce urine, regulate substance concentration via nephrons.
02
Function of ureters in urine transport
Ureters carry urine from kidneys to bladder for temporary storage.
