Primary organ for the excretion of excess water and nitrogenous metabolic wastes such as urea and creatinine in the form of urine
Skin
Integumentary organ which excretes excess water, ions and some nitrogenous waste through sweat produced by sweat glands
Large Intestine
Digestive organ which excretes undigested and unabsorbed materials and excess water in the form of feces
Filtration
The process by which solutes and water molecules are being pushed/filtered from the blood into the excretory tubule
Reabsorption
The process of recovering useful substances from the filtrate in the excretory tubule and transferring these valuable substances back into the blood
Elimination
The process where the processed filtrate composed of only unneeded substances such as nitrogenous waste (urea), some solutes, and some water, is released from the body as urine
Nephron
The tiny filtering units of the kidney, composed of two basic types: cortical nephrons (shorter) and juxtamedullary nephrons (longer)
Structure and function of a nephron
1. Glomerulus and Bowman's capsule (filtration)
2. Proximal tubule (reabsorption)
3. Loop of Henle (reabsorption and concentration of urine)
4. Distal tubule (further processing of filtrate)
5. Collecting duct (final reabsorption of water)
Afferent arteriole
Branch of the renal artery which supplies blood to each nephron
Glomerulus
Ball of capillaries where filtration occurs
Efferent arteriole
Carries filtered blood out of the nephron
Peritubular capillaries
Tangled with the proximal and distal tubules, involved in reabsorption
Vasa recta
Branches of the peritubular capillaries that extend downward into the renal medulla
