9.1 Overview of the Excretory System

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zack

Cards (23)

What are the main functions?
Elimination of waste products
Water balance
pH balance
Main function of the kidneys
Removes waste from the blood and produce urine
Main function of the renal artery
A blood vessel that originates from the aorta and delivers blood to the kidneys; splits into a fine network of capillaries within the Bowman's capsule of the nephron.
Main function of the renal vein
A blood vessel that drains from the kidney; returns to the body solutes and water reabsorbed by the kidney.
Main function of the aorta
Carries oxygen-rich blood away from the heart
Main function of the inferior vena cava
Carries blood toward the heart from the lower torso and legs
Main function of the ureter
Transports urine
Main function of the urethra
Excretes urine
Main function of the urinary bladder
Temporarily stores urine
What's the solution to waste?
Excretion
What's excretion?
The process of separating wastes from the body fluids and eliminating them
Where do the kidneys release the urine to?
Ureters
Where is the urine moved to from the ureters by the peristaltic actions of smooth muscle tissue?
Urinary bladder
What controls the drainage from the bladder?
Sphincters
What should both sphincters do before urine can drain from the bladder?
Relax
What tube does the urine go through when exiting the bladder and the body?
Urethra
What funnel-like structure is formed when the ureter flares open?
Renal pelvis
What cup-like extension does the renal pelvis receive urine?
Renal tissue
What are the two sections the renal tissue is divided into?
Outer renal cortex and inner renal medulla
What microscopic structure is embedded within the renal cortex and extending into the renal medulla?
Nephrons
What are the nephrons closely associated with?
Blood vessels
What are the nephrons responsible for?
Filtering various substances from the blood and transforming it into urine
How does the nephron filter substances from the blood and transform it into urine?
The nephron is organized into three main regions: a filter, a tube, and a duct