EXCRETION IN ANIMALS AND PLANTS

Biology Chapter – 8

I Short Question and Answers:-

1. What is excretion?
Ans. The process of removing the toxic waste, formed as a result of metabolic activities
inside the body, is called excretion.

2. What are excretory organs?

Ans. All organisms have special organs called to get rid of their harmful wastes which are
called excretory organs.

3. List down the different types of excretory products in human beings.

Ans. The various waste materials produced in the human body are
- Nitrogenous waste products: Breakdown of excess of proteins produces nitrogenous
waste such as ammonia, urea and uric acid. These are removed through the kidneys.
- Extra salt: Our body needs salts only in certain amounts. Excess salts are excreted
mainly through the kidneys.
- Bile pigment: Bile pigments are formed in eth liver by the breakdown of
haemoglobin in dead RBCs. They are mostly released in faeces while some is
excreted in urine.
- Excess vitamins: Excess water-soluble vitamins are also excreted along with urine.
- Carbon dioxide and water: Carbon dioxide is removed through the lungs, while
water gets reabsorbed into the body. Excess water is excreted through kidneys as
urine and through sweat glands as sweat in our skin.

4. Briefly explain the Human excretory system.

Ans. Human beings have an elaborate excretory or urinary system to eliminate nitrogenous
waste products. It consists of
(i) Kidneys: These are a pair of reddish-brown, bean shaped structures that lie on
either side of the backbone. They filter the impure blood and produce urine.
(ii) Ureters: These are tubes that lead out from each kidney. These tubes carry urine
from the kidneys to the urinary bladder.
(iii) Urinary bladder: It is pouch-like muscular structure in which urine is stored
temporarily.
 (iv) Urethra: It is a canal-like opening at the bottom of the urinary bladder through
which urine is passed out.

5. Describe the structure of kidneys.

Ans. Each kidney in longitudinal section shows two distinct regions – an outer dark region
called cortex and an inner lighter region called medulla. Inside each kidney there are
millions of microscopic filtering tubes or units called nephrons or uriniferous tubules. A
nephron is the functional unit of a kidney. Each nephron consists of a cup-shaped
structure at one end called the Browman’s capsule. It extends into a long urinary tubule,
that is surrounded by a network of renal capillaries. The urinary tubules of nephrons in
each kidney join to form a common tube called the ureter. Inside the Bowman’s
capsule, is a network of blood capillaries called glomerulus. The Bowman’s capsule and
glomerulus together form the Malphigian body.

6. Explain the structure of a nephron with the help of a diagram.

Ans. A nephron is the functional unit of a kidney. Each nephron consists of a cup-shaped
structure at one end called the Browman’s capsule. It extends into a long urinary tubule,
that is surrounded by a network of renal capillaries. The urinary tubules of nephrons in
each kidney join to form a common tube called the ureter.

7. Describe the process of urine formation.

Ans. The process of urine formation can be explained in the following steps:
 Glomerular filtration: Blood containing waste material enters the kidneys through
the renal artery. It then enters the glomerulus under high pressure. Water and small
solutes are filtered in the Bowman’s capsule.
 Tubular reabsorption: The filtrate passes through the thin walls of the Bowman’s
capsule into the urinary or renal tube. As it passes through the tubule, water and
many useful substances are reabsorbed by the renal blood capillaries.
 Tubular secretion: The last step of urine formation is tubular secretion where
additional waste like ions, drugs, etc. are added to glomerular filtrate. Thus urine is
formed.

8. How do skin, lungs and liver help in excretion?

Ans. Some other organs which help in eliminating wastes from the body are as follows:
 Skin: It excretes excess water, urea, salts and other metabolic wastes in the form of
sweat. These waste products are carried by the blood from all parts of the body to
sweat glands in the skin.
  Lungs: Carbon dioxide produced as a result of respiration is eliminated by the lungs
through the nose.
 Liver: It produces bile pigments form the haemoglobin of broken RBCs. It also
converts the toxic ammonia produced in the cells into urea, which is less toxic. Urea
is then carried to the kidneys, from where it is excreted.

9. What is urine? List down its composition.

Ans. Urine is a transparent yellowish fluid. In normal composition, it consists of 95% water.
Other constituents are:
Urea 9.3 g/L
Chloride 1.87 g/L
Sodium 1.17 g/L
Potassium 0.750 g/L
Creatinine 0.670 g/L and
Other dissolved ions, inorganic and organic compounds.

10. Explain the process of dialysis.

Ans. The process of using machine to filter the blood of a patient whose kidneys are
damaged is called dialysis.

11. Explain the process of transpiration. Describe some factors that affect it.
Ans.

10. Write a short note on artificial kidneys.

Ans. Artificial kidney which is also called a dialyser is a machine used to filter the blood of a
patient whose kidneys are damaged.

II Fill in the blanks:-

1. Water helps in washing out the nitrogenous waste from the body.
2. The process of removing the toxic waste formed as a result of metabolic activities
inside the body is called excretion.
3. Few examples of nitrogenous waste produced due to the breakdown of excess of
proteins are ammonia, urea and uric acid.
4. Nitrogenous waste products are removed from the body through the kidneys.
5. Excess salts are excreted mainly through the kidneys.
6. Bile pigments are formed in the liver by the breakdown of haemoglobin in dead RBCs
and are mostly released in faeces while some is excreted in urine.
7. Excess water-soluble vitamins are also excreted along with urine.
8. Carbon dioxide is removed through the lungs, while water gets reabsorbed into the
body.
9. Excess water is excreted through kidneys as urine and through sweat glands as sweat in
the skin.
10.Human excretory system consists of kidneys, ureters, urinary bladder and urethra.
11.Kidneys are a pair of reddish-brown bean shaped structures that lie on either side of
the backbone.
12.