Excretory System

OUR EXCRETORY SYSTEM: How does it works?

The Excretory system is the system that rids the body of all its wastes, and involves the lungs to remove carbon dioxide from the body, the large intestine in which solid wastes pass through, and the kidneys which remove the bulk of the liquid waste. Some liquid waste evaporates from the skin, and some leaves through the lungs, which can be seen as your breath condenses on a cold day.

The urinary system is made up of the kidney, the bladder, and three tubes. Liquid waste is produced in the kidneys and stored in the muscular bladder. A kidney is a bean shaped organ about 10 centimeters long and inside each are about 1 million capillary clumps. As blood flows through the capillaries, certain substances move from the blood through the capillary walls into the tubes.

Among the "garbage" and other waste products that are disposed of by the excretory system, are extra salts and minerals. Also, quite a bit of water is filtered out. H20 makes up 95% of the urine. By removing water from the body, the kidneys maintain balance in the blood. In certain illnesses some abnormal substances are found in the urine.

A doctor, called a urologist, can order an analysis or urinalysis of a patient's urine. A urinalysis consists of testing the density, PH, sugar, protein, and blood content of the urine. A microscopic examination of urine is done to look for bacteria, crystals and others substances. Substances found, or not found, are clues to the detective work a doctor must do to diagnose the disease.