Excretion Flashcards
(159 cards)
Excretion
The removal of metabolic waste from the body
What products must be excreted
-Carbon Dioxide from respiration
-Nitrogen-containing compounds such as urea (nitrogenous waste)
-Other compounds, such as bile pigments found in the faeces
Why must products be excreted
So they do not build up and inhibit enzyme activity and become toxic
Difference between excretion and egestion
Egestion - the elimination of faeces from the body. Faeces are the undigested remains of food and not metabolic products
What are the main organs involved in excretion
-Lungs
-Liver
-Kidney
-Ureter
-Bladder
-Urethra
- (Skin)
The skins involvement in excretion (also homeostasis)
Sweat contains a range of substances including salts, urea, water, uric acid, and ammonia
-Loss of water and salts important in homeostasis - maintains body temperature and water potential of the blood
What happens if CO2 and ammonia build up
Toxic
-Interfere with cell processes by altering the pH so normal metabolism is prevented
Formation of Hydrogen-carbonate ions for CO2 transport
1) CO2+H20= Carbonic acid (catalysed by carbonic anhydrase)
2) Carbonic acid - hydrogen and hydrogen carbonate ions
3) Hydrogen-carbonate ions then diffuse out and chloride ions diffuse in (Chloride shift)
How do the hydrogen ions affect the RBC
Affects pH of cytoplasm
-Hydrogen ions affect bonds within haemoglobin changing its shape (buffer)
-Reduces affinity for O2
What happens to the haemoglobin once its affinity for O2 has been reduced
Hydrogen ions bind forming haemoglobinic acid
What happens to the CO2 that is not converted to hydrogencarbonate ions
Combine directly with haemoglobin forming carbaminohaemoglobin
What are both carbaminohaemoglobin and haemoglobinic acid unable to do
Bind with oxygen
-Reduces oxygen transport further
Why must the pH of the blood plasma be maintained
Could alter the structure of many proteins in the blood that help to transport a wide range of substances around the body
-proteins in blood acts as buffer (haemoglobin)
What happens if the change in blood pH is small
Extra hydrogen ions are detected by the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata in the brain
-Causes an increase in breathing rate to help remove excess Co2
What would happen if pH drops below 7.35
Cause headaches, restlessness, drowsiness, tremor and confusion
-Rapid heart rate and change in blood pressure
What is the condition called when your blood pH drops below 7.35
Respiratory acidosis
What is respiratory acidosis caused by
Diseases or conditions that affect the lungs themselves i.e. emphysema, chronic Bronchitis, asthma, severe pneumonia
What can acute respiratory acidosis be caused by
Blocking of airways due to swelling/ foreign object/ vomit
Why would it be wasteful to excrete amino acids
Contain as much energy as carbohydrates
-Wasteful to simply excrete
What happens to amino acids
Transported to the liver where the toxic amino group is removed (deamination)
The amino group forms Ammonia (highly toxic and soluble) converted to Urea ( less toxic and insoluble)
Why is it important that urea is insoluble
So it doesn’t disrupt the WP of the cell
Where does urea go to after it has been made
The kidney for excretion
What happens to the remaining keto acid from ammonia
-used directly in respiration to release its energy
-Converted to a carbohydrate or a fat for storage
Deamination equation
Amino acid + O2 = Keto acid + Ammonia