Biology by Karl Irvin Baguio (the ebook reader TXT) 📕

Chapter 25: Excretion and Homeostasis

  Excretory Systems

 

The excretion process is concerned with the removal of waste products from the animal body. The relatively stable internal environment of the organism is dependent upon the process of excretion, a concept known as homeostasis. Homeostasis means “staying the same.” It refers to a steady-state equilibrium that exists internally in a healthy organism or cells, despite changes in the external environment. The excretory system plays a major role in homeostasis.

 

Because one-celled organisms are in constant contact with their environment, they do not need excretory organs. However, multicellular organisms need a mechanism to carry waste products from cells to the external environment. Flatworms, such as planaria, have a series of excretory cells called flame cells. Flame cells contain cilia that direct water and metabolic wastes to enter the cells and pass into excretory canals. The excretory canals join with other canals to form excretory tubules. Fluid from the excretory tubules leaves the body through pores.

 

In earthworms, members of the phylum Annelida, the excretory system consists of structural units called nephridia (the singular is nephridium). Each nephridium contains a ciliated tunnel that leads to a long, coiled tubule, which leads to a bladderlike sac (a primitive bladder). Fluid moves from the internal environment into the funnel. As fluid passes through the tubule, cells in the tubular lining absorb useful compounds such as glucose, amino acids, and salts. The remaining materials constitute metabolic waste, and they are passed into the bladderlike sac. The sac later opens through a pore in the earthworm’s skin, from which the waste products are discharged.

 

Insects have a series of tubules for excretion called Malpighian tubules. Fluid enters at the upper end of the tubules and passes down their entire length. The cells in the tubular walls reabsorb precise amounts of water, salts, and other materials to maintain a delicate balance within the insect tissues. The tubules eventually lead to an insect’s intestine, where waste products are removed.

 

Human Excretory System

 

The human excretory system functions to remove waste from the human body. This system consists of specialized structures and capillary networks that assist in the excretory process. The human excretory system includes the kidneys and their functional unit, the nephron. The excretory activity of the kidneys is modulated by specialized hormones that regulate the amount of absorption within the nephron.

 

Kidneys

 

The human kidneys are the major organs of bodily excretion (see Figure 26-1). They are bean-shaped organs located on either side of the backbone at about the level of the stomach and liver. Blood enters the kidneys through renal arteries and leaves through renal veins. Tubes called ureters carry waste products from the kidneys to the urinary bladder for storage or for release.

 

The product of the kidneys is urine, a watery solution of waste products, salts, organic compounds, and two important nitrogen compounds: uric acid and urea. Uric acid results from nucleic acid decomposition, and urea results from amino acid breakdown in the liver. Both of these nitrogen products can be poisonous to the body and must be removed in the urine.

 

 

Figure 25-1   Details of the human excretory system. Position and allied structures of the kidneys (top). A cross section of the kidney showing the two major portions (left). Details of the nephron, the functional unit of the kidney (right).

 

Nephron

 

The functional and structural unit of the kidney is the nephron. The nephron produces urine and is the primary unit of homeostasis in the body. It is essentially a long tubule with a series of associated blood vessels. The upper end of the tubule is an enlarged cuplike structure called the Bowman’s capsule. Below the Bowman’s capsule, the tubule coils to form the proximal tubule, and then it follows a hairpin turn called the loop of Henle. After the loop of Henle, the tubule coils once more as the distal tubule. It then enters a collecting duct, which also receives urine from other distal tubules.

 

Within the Bowman’s capsule is a coiled ball of capillaries known as a glomerulus. Blood from the renal artery enters the glomerulus. The force of the blood pressure induces plasma to pass through the walls of the glomerulus, pass through the walls of the Bowman’s capsule, and flow into the proximal tubule. Red blood cells and large proteins remain in the blood.

 

After plasma enters the proximal tubule, it passes through the coils, where usable materials and water are reclaimed. Salts, glucose, amino acids, and other useful compounds flow back through tubular cells into the blood by active transport. Osmosis and the activity of hormones assist the movement. The blood fluid then flows through the loop of Henle into the distal tubule. Once more, salts, water, and other useful materials flow back into the bloodstream. Homeostasis is achieved by this process: A selected amount of hydrogen, ammonium, sodium, chloride, and other ions maintain the delicate salt balance in the body.

 

The fluid moving from the distal tubules into the collecting duct contains urine. The urine flows through the ureters toward the urinary bladder. When the bladder is full, the urine flows through the urethra to the exterior.

 

Control of kidney function

 

The activity of the nephron in the kidney is controlled by a person’s choices and environment as well as hormones. For example, if a person consumes large amounts of protein, much urea will be in the blood from the digestion of the protein. Also, on a hot day, a body will retain water for sweating and cooling, so the amount of urine is reduced.

 

Humans produce a hormone called antidiuretic hormone (ADH), also known as vasopressin, which is secreted by the posterior lobe of the pituitary gland. It regulates the amount of urine by controlling the rate of water absorption in the nephron tubules.

 

Some individuals suffer from a condition in which they secrete very low levels of ADH. The result is excessive urination and a disease called diabetes insipidus. Another unrelated form of diabetes, diabetes mellitus, is more widespread. People with this disease produce insufficient levels of insulin. Insulin normally transports glucose molecules into the cells. But when insulin is not available, the glucose remains in the bloodstream. The glucose is removed from the bloodstream in the nephron; to dilute the glucose, the nephron removes large amounts of water from the blood. Thus, the urine tends to be plentiful.

 

Hormones from the cortex of the adrenal glands also control the content of urine. These hormones promote reabsorption of sodium and chloride ions in the tubules. Thus, they affect the water balance in the body because water flows in the direction of high sodium and chloride content.

Chapter 26: Support and Movement in Animals

 Human Muscle

 

Muscle is made up of thousands of muscle fibers, each composed of a single muscle cell. As shown in Figure 26-2, a muscle cell contains a series of ultramicroscopic filaments called myofibrils. Each myofibril is a muscle cell that contains units called sarcomeres. Sarcomeres contain thick microfilaments composed of the protein myosin. Sarcomeres also contain thin microfilaments composed of the protein actin. The actin and myosin filaments are arranged parallel to one another, with the myosin filaments’ molecular “heads” protruding toward the actin filaments. In skeletal muscle, the overlapping actin and myosin filaments give the muscle fiber a banded, or striated, appearance. Hence, the muscle is striated muscle.

 

Figure 26-2   Anatomical structure of the muscle.

 

Muscle contraction

 

When a nerve impulse arrives at the muscle cells, it passes across the neuromuscular junction and enters the muscle cell membrane, which is known as the sarcolemma. The impulse spreads across the muscle cell and enters its cytoplasm, which is called sarcoplasm. The nerve impulse causes the actin filaments to slide across the surface of the myosin filaments. The sliding filaments pull together the ends of the muscle cell, thereby causing it to contract. The sliding filaments require that calcium ions and energy in the form of ATP be available. Two proteins called tropomyosin and troponin also function in the contraction. Cross-bridges hold the filaments together as the muscle contracts.

 

After the muscle contraction has taken place, the energy to sustain the contraction is used up, and the cross-bridges break. The filaments then slide back to their original position, and the muscle cell relaxes. There is no partial contraction of the muscle cell. Contraction is an all-or-none phenomenon.

 

Energy for contraction

 

Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) supplies the energy for muscle contraction. The reactions of glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron transport system normally produce ATP during cellular respiration. During normal activity, ATP is regenerated as it is used up during muscle contraction. When a person engages in strenuous activity, however, ATP is quickly used up and creatin phosphate is used for energy. Creatin phosphate transfers its energy to new ATP molecules, which then function as additional energy sources.

 

When creatin phosphate is used up, muscle cells obtain their energy solely from the process of glycolysis. Because no oxygen is available, the metabolism is anaerobic. Under these conditions, two molecules of ATP are obtained per molecule of glucose metabolized. The pyruvic acid that forms is converted to lactic acid in the muscle. Lactic acid prevents overexertion of the muscle because as lactic acid accumulates, the person experiences fatigue. The fatigue induces the person to stop exerting the muscles and breathe deeply. This breathing provides a plentiful supply of oxygen to satisfy the oxygen debt. Lactic acid is converted back to pyruvic acid, which is then metabolized through the Krebs cycle and electron transport system to provide a new supply of ATP and creatin phosphate.

 

Types of muscle

 

The human body has three major types of muscle. The muscle type discussed earlier in this chapter is striated muscle because the fibers’ overlapping actin and myosin filaments give it a banded appearance (see Figure 26-2). This muscle is found in the limbs and is also called skeletal muscle. It operates under voluntary control and so is additionally known as voluntary muscle.

 

The second muscle type is smooth muscle, which has few actin and myosin filaments; therefore, it has few striations. Smooth muscle is found in the linings of the blood vessels, along the gastrointestinal tract, in the respiratory tract, and in the urinary bladder. Because it operates without voluntary control, it is sometimes called involuntary muscle.

 

The third muscle type is cardiac muscle, which is found in the heart. It has striations because it has multiple actin and myosin filaments, but it is an involuntary muscle. The actin and myosin filaments in cardiac muscle exist as intertwined branches that form a conducting network for nerve impulses.

 

Skeletons in Animals

 

Movement is one of the essential features of living things. Cellular movement is observed in one-celled amoebas, ciliates, and flagellates. Flagella whip about to produce cellular motion, while cilia beat synchronously to propel a cell.

 

In animals, movement is essential for locating food, escaping predators, and seeking mates. In many animals, the movement process is centered in the muscle cell, which contracts and relaxes. The contraction yields great force, which is applied against a surface by means of a skeleton.

 

Skeletal systems provide structure and protection for