The body must get rid of the waste products of cellular activity. The process of removing these wastes is called excretion. The excretory system not only get rids of wastes, but it also maintains homeostasis by regulating the contents of blood. The kidneys are the main organs of the excretory system. They regulate the chemical composition of blood and excrete the remaining waste as urine
Excretory System: The group of organs that work together to remove waste from an organism.
Kidney: One of a pair of organs in the human body that works to remove waste from the body and maintain homeostasis.
Large Intestine: Organ involved in removing solid waste from the body.
Liver: Organ involved in blood detoxification and glycogen storage. The liver maintains glucose levels in the blood by storing glucose as glycogen and also releasing glycogen as glucose back into the blood.
Skin: Organ involved in the removal of excess salt from the body through sweat.
Lungs: Organ involved in expelling carbon dioxide from the body.
Urinary System: Filters waste products and excess water from the blood and excretes them from the body.
Urine: The liquid waste product of the body.
Nephron: The structural and functional unit of the kidneys.
Ureters: Two tubes that move urine by peristalsis to the bladder.
Bladder: A hollow, sac-like organ that stores urine.
Urethra: A muscular tube that carries urine out of the body.
Image credit: Courtesy of National Cancer Institute, Public Domain
All processes in the body produce waste that needs to be removed. The excretory system includes several organs: the kidneys, the large intestine, the liver, the skin, and the lungs.
The kidneys are a pair of organs that filter blood to form urine and reabsorb water.
People only require one functional kidney to be healthy. Nevertheless, there are many diseases that impair kidney function.