Using your notes, explain how the different systems work together daily.

Cells and Systems Excretory System ONACD –Editable Curriculum designed for teachers by teachers

The process of removing excess water, salts and wastes from the body What is Excretion? The process of removing excess water, salts and wastes from the body But didn’t we get rid of waste through the respiratory system (CO2) and the digestive system (solid waste left after food is digested)? Yes…. But what about the chemical waste that comes from our cells and is carried around in our blood stream?

The Kidney Label the diagram to the left All blood cells must eventually travel through the KIDNEY which is the major organ used in excretion. Label the diagram to the left with the following terms: Urethra, ureters, bladder, kidneys Kidneys Ureters Bladder Urethra

A peek into the inside of the bladder! The kidney filters the blood for wastes. As the blood moves across the kidney, specifically each individual nephron, the pressure is very high. Waste (salt, urea (formed by the liver), excess glucose) dissolved in water moves across the thin walls of the blood vessels into the nephron. Some of the water and salt is put back into the blood stream but all the excess is transported through the kidney and sent through the ureters to the bladder to be held until it is to be eliminated through the urethra. Left: A peek into the inside of the bladder!

Random Excretory Facts Each blood cell passes through the kidneys 300 times a day. The nephrons clean all your blood every 45 minutes.  Every day the nephrons send about six cups of urine to the bladder. In some people urine develops an unusual smell soon after eating asparagus. The smell is due to a chemical called methyl mercaptain.