PCAT Excretory System

excretion

removal of metabolic wastes produced in the body

aerobic respiration

leads to the production of carbon dioxide and water

deamination

of amino acids leads to produced of nitrogenous wastes such as urea and ammonia

elimination

removable of undigestible material, such as dietary fiber

lungs, liver, skin and kidneys

principal organs of excretory system

lungs

CO2 and water vapor diffuse from blood and are continually exhaled

skin

sweat glands here excrete water and dissolved salts (and a small quantity of urea)

liver

produces nitrogenous wastes, hemoglobin, and other chemicals for excretion

kidneys

urea is produced by the deamination of amino acids in the liver and diffuses into blood for ultimate excretion here

bile salts

excreted as bile and pass out with the feces

kidneys

function to maintain the osmolarity of the blood, excrete numerous waste products and toxic chemical, and conserve glucose, salt, and water

nephron

unit that composes the kidney

cortex, medulla, and renal pelvis

3 regions of kidney

glomerulus

contained by bowman's capsule

bowman's capsule

nephron consists of a bulb called

medulla

loops of henle and collecting duct run through which region of kidney

cortex

convoluted tubules and bowman's capsule run through which region of kidney

pelvis of kidney

concentrated urine in the collecting tubules flows into

urinary bladder

ureters coming from pelvis of kidney empty into

urethra

expels the urine

filtration, secretion, reabsorption

3 processes that lead to urine formation

filtration

passive process driven by hydrostatic pressure of the blood; blood pressure forces 20% of blood plasma entering the glomerulus through its capillary walls and into Bowman's capsule via diffusion; called filtrate; filtrate is isotonic with blood plasma

secretion

nephron secretes waste substances such as acids, ions, and other metabolites from the interstitial fluid into the filtrate by passive AND active transport; materials secreted from the peritubular capillaries into the nephron tubule

reabsorption

essential substances (glucose, salts, and amino acids) and water are reabsorbed from the filtrate and returned to blood; active process in proximal convoluted tubule; water passively follow solute; concentrated urine hypertonic to blood

proximal convoluted tubule

reabsorption occurs here

distal convoluted tubule

secretion occurs here

ascending loop of henle, collecting duct, descending loop of henle

primary sites that regulate water, sodium, and potassium loss in the nephron

descending loop of henle

very permeable to water but not to ions or urea

ascending loop of henle

impermeable to water but permeable to ions, allowing for passive diffusion of ions

cortex to inner medulla

tissue osmolarity increases from

counter-current-multiplier system

a system in which energy is used to create a concentration gradient

renal tubule

osmolarity of urine established here by the counter-current-multiplier system

hyperosmolar

counter-current system causes the interstitial space in the medulla of the kidney to be THIS with respect to the dilute filtrate flowing through the renal tubule

osmosis

water flows out of collecting ducts by:

ADH (vasopressin)

hormone that increases permeability of the collecting duct to water, allowing more water to be absorbed and more concentrated urine to be formed

aldosterone

steroid hormone that causes increased transport of sodium and potassium ions along the distal convoluted tubule and collecting duct, resulting in decreased secretion of sodium ions and increased excretion of potassium ions in the urine

antidiuretic hormone (ADH)

vasopressin; peptide hormone with same net effect of increased water reabsorption as aldosterone; directly affects water absorption by the distal convoluted tubule and collecting ducts, opening addition aquaporins to allow water to be reabsorbed more read

diuretics

drugs that increase urine producion

respiratory acid-base disorder

affect the blood acidity by causing changes in the PCO2

metabolic acid-base disorder

affect the blood acidity by causing changes in the HCO3-

cortex

region of kidey that has lowest solute concentration

reabsorption

in the nephron, amino acids enter the peritubular capillaries bia

proximal tubule

glucose reabsorption occurs here

hypertonic

urine is WHAT to the blood