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Excretory System - Coggle Diagram
Excretory System
consists of
Kidney
Kidneys are bean-shaped structures located on either side of the backbone and are protected by the ribs and muscles of the back.
The Kidneys produce a waste product called urine using special functional units called Nephrons. The urine is then excreted from the body. This process takes place in three steps:
Filtration: Blood enters a nephron, which filters out impurities
Reabsorption: The impurities move through tubules, while the rest of the blood is reabsorbed through capillary walls into the blood
Excretion: Urine is transported from the kidneys through the ureters and into the urinary bladder. It remains stored in the bladder until it is released through the urethra
Nephrons
Nephrons are the functional units of the kidney. Each nephron has two parts- glomerulus and renal tubule.
Glomerulus consists of a bunch of capillaries formed by afferent arterioles. Blood from glomerulus is carried away by efferent arterioles.
The renal tubule starts with a cup-like structure called Bowman’s capsule and this encloses the glomerulus. The malpighian body consists of glomerulus and Bowman’s capsule. The highly coiled structure in the tubule next to the Bowman’s capsule is the proximal convoluted tubule.
Kidneys also regulate the osmotic pressure of a mammal’s blood through excessive purification and filtration. This is known as osmoregulation.
Ureters
A pair of thin muscular tubes called the ureter comes out of each kidney extending from the renal pelvis. It carries urine from the kidney to the urinary bladder.
Urinary bladder
It is a muscular sac-like structure, which stores urine. The urinary bladder is emptied by the process of micturition, i.e. the act of urination.
Urethra
This tube arises from the urinary bladder and helps to expel urine out of the body. In males, it acts as the common route for sperms and urine. Its opening is guarded by sphincter muscles.
Urinary tract
The urinary tract is a major part of the excretory system. It filters waste and water from the blood, and eliminates them from the body.
Micturition
The urinary bladder is stretched and gets filled with urine formed in the nephrons. The receptors present on the walls of the urinary bladder send signals to the Central Nervous System, thereby, allowing the relaxation of sphincter muscles to release urine.
Human excretory system includes organs that facilitate the removal of nitrogenous wastes from the body.