How Our Body Eliminates Cellular Wastes

ExcretionWhen proteins are broken down into

amino acids, during digestion, they travel to the liver to be stored.

Excess amino acids are converted to glucose, glycogen, or fat.

This conversion produces a toxic substance called ammonia, which when combined with CO2, forms urea.

Although Urea is safe to travel in the blood stream, it still needs to be expelled from the body (a build up of urea in the body can be toxic).

ExcretionIt is the role of the excretory

system to remove urea and other waste products, such as; water and CO2 (products of cellular respiration).

The removal of waste products from the body is referred to as EXCRETION.

Excretory System – removes excess water, H2O, urea, carbon dioxide, CO2, and other wastes from our blood.

Kidneys – filter out excess water and urea

Lungs – filter out carbon dioxide, CO2, from the blood.

Skin – excretes water, as sweat, which contains some trace chemical wastes, including urea.

Renal vein

Artery from heart Vein to heart

Kidney

Renal Artery

Bladder

Urethra

Ureters

Kidney

Kidneys – filter wastes and excess water from the blood.

Ureters – tubes that take urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.

Urinary Bladder – a sack that stores urine.

Urethra – small tube that leads urine out of the body.

I. The KidneysEvery drop of blood in your

body is filtered by your kidneys more than 300 times per day!

Kidneys eliminate urea, minerals and excess water.

Kidneys regulate the amount of water we need to maintain in our bodies.