The Renal (Excretory, Urinary) System

The Structure & Function: 

What is the function of the renal system? The function of the renal system is the eradication of wastes manufactured by homeostasis (this word comes from two combined words in Greek: "homeo" meaning similar, & "stasis" meaning stable). The organs that are used in this process are the lungs, the liver, & the kidneys.


What are names & functions of the major organs in the renal system? The names & functions of the major organs in the renal system are...
  • Kidneys: the kidneys are organs that receive the waste from the body. The kidneys then percolate things from the waste, such as salt, urea, & excess water which is disposed from the body as urine.
  • Skin: The skin executes its function through sweat glands. Sweat is used to cool us off as well as to get rid of unwanted oils, salt, water, and other gratuitous elements that ooze from small pores in the skin.
  • Lungs: The lungs, an important organ in both the renal system & the circulatory (cardiovascular) system, perform another function of excretion - getting rid of the carbon dioxide that formulates when we take in oxygen (CO2 is a waste) and removes the CO2 when we exhale. In fact, a carefully structured muscle located in between the rib cage (which protects the lungs) and underneath our lungs called the diaphragm allows the process of inhalation but also assists the excretory system when expelling waste, such as feces and urine.

The structure & function of the skin: The structure of the skin is to cover our body. Without our skin, our muscles, bones, & organs would be all over the map. Our skin also regulates our temperature, while protecting our bodies, and giving us the sense of touch. The function of the skin is not just to protect our bodies, to have a sense of touch, regulate our temperature, but to get rid of unwanted oils, salt, water, and other gratuitous elements that ooze from small pores in the skin.

Interactions With Other Systems:

Interactions with other systems: The interactions with other systems that the renal system has are...
  • The Digestive System: the leftovers (the waste) from the digestive system is removed from the body as urine.
  • The Circulatory System: The circulatory system has a connection with the renal system - when blood passes through the kidneys, the kidneys act like the baleen of a whale - they filter out the certain wastes, such as urea, uric acid, & excess water. 
  • The Endocrine System: The endocrine system controls most of the renal system - the kidneys are constantly changed to suit your cells. As I've mentioned before in previous blog posts, the endocrine system produces hormones. If you drink too much water, then the endocrine releases more hormones to ensure that you produce more urine. This works the same way around - if you're dehydrated, less urine will be accumulated.

The Renal System Analogy: 


Explain the renal system analogy: This analogy is comparing the kidneys to the baleen of a whale. The baleen acts like the kidneys - that the kidneys will filter our the unwanted wastes, such as urea, uric acid, & excess water, in the same way that the baleen filters out krill for the whale (in this case, the whale would be the rest of the renal system). 

REDESIGN: How Can I Make This System Better? 

How can you make this system better?: I would make this system better by combining the renal system & the endocrine system, considering the fact that the endocrine system controls most of the renal system. I would also make this system better by making it so that only a certain amount of salt can be consumed because too much NaC1 in the kidneys could cause swelling in certain areas.

Sources:

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