Durban Girls' High School Excretion (PDF)

Durban Girls’ High School Excretion Grade 11 HOW IS THE URINARY SYSTEM MADE UP? water...

Durban Girls’ High School Excretion Grade 11 HOW IS THE URINARY SYSTEM MADE UP? water ~ 1. Two kidneys that function as excretory organs, which filter waste out of the blood, and as osmoregulatory organs, which regulate the water and salt balance in the body. Each kidney has attached to it a: Renal artery - (branching from the aorta) containing blood which carries waste products to the kidney and supplies the kidney with oxygen and nutrients. Renal vein that contains blood with the lowest concentration of metabolic / nitrogenous waste in the body. It carries carbon dioxide away from the kidney to the inferior vena cava. Ureter that carries the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. 2. A bladder: Stores urine Has sphincter muscles at the base to control the flow of urine 3. A urethra: Carries urine from the bladder to the outside - In males, it passes through the penis and carries both urine and semen. - In females, it only carries urine which exits through a separate opening in front of the vaginal opening. The adrenal glands (endocrine glands) are situated above each kidney; however, they do not form part of the excretory system. These glands secrete a hormone called aldosterone, which plays a part in regulating the salt (sodium) concentration in the body. (Homeostasis). 2