Know The Fundamental Role Of Your Excretory System In The Body

The human body is a perfectly designed machine which, over time, has evolved to become what it is today.

A lot of systems made up of many organs are conjugated within each organism; These are in charge of fulfilling functions, some more elaborate than others, but all vital for the human being.

If any of these enter into ‘gaps’ or deficiencies, the organism can present considerable problems.

Below we show you the different organs that make up the excretory system and their functionality.

Excretory system

One of the most relevant within the human body is the excretory system, responsible for eliminating all kinds of substances and unnecessary waste from the body.

Its main objective is to preserve the health of the body in general. And it is that, in case of not evacuating this waste, the infections will multiply quickly.

Organs of the excretory system

Within the excretory system there are different organs that combine their functions to help eliminate toxins and purify the body; therefore they are part of said excretory group.

These are the primary organs of this system:

1. Eccrine glands

In general terms, the sweat glands are the best known of the excretory system; however, there is another equally important type with similar functions.

These are the eccrines, responsible for eliminating excess water lodged in the body. These are found throughout the body, although those on the palms of the hands, the soles of the feet and the forehead stand out.

When these glands remove water, they contribute to temperature regulation.

2. Large intestine

Although this organ is not typical of the excretory system, it does fulfill vital functions for it, taking into account its objective of waste collection.

In this, solid waste from the body is stored, separating it from useful water for the body.

Once fragmented, the intestine conducts them through its ducts until they are expelled definitively.

3. The kidneys

They are perhaps the flagship pair of organs of the excretory system. In fact, many people tend to believe that these are the main ones of the body, regarding this function.

However, despite playing a fundamental role, the excretion of substances that are harmful to the body cannot be carried out if the rest of the organs do not function properly.

In the first place, each kidney is in charge of filtering the blood in order to separate unhelpful waste  from the water, which is reabsorbed by the body.

4. The liver

The liver works in conjunction with other organs to cleanse the body effectively.

• For example, it takes ammonia and transforms it into urea, which is subsequently expelled through the urine.
• In this also the processes are carried out to later break down fats and polluting waste for the body.

5. The skin

We have previously talked about the eccrine glands, which are distributed throughout the body. This is the reason why the skin becomes relevant in excretory processes.

Sweat glands are also found in the skin. Consequently, it helps to eliminate sweat, which is made up of salt and water.

Thus, it keeps the body cool, regulates temperature and protects internal organs.

6. The lungs

Despite having a main objective different from that of the excretory system (absorbing oxygen for the body), the lungs do fulfill a function related to excretion.

Inside these, the exchange of blood takes place, between oxygenated and deoxygenated.

In this sense, the body is left with clean blood and the lungs expel carbon dioxide through the air.

Diseases belonging to the excretory system

When the aforementioned organs present irregularities in their functioning, the most common is the appearance of various diseases.

However, the main diseases of this system are related to kidney function, and are the following:

• Kidney stones : They occur when substances and protein particles are stored in the kidneys.
• Cystitis : This is the inflammation of the bladder, related to the expulsion of substances thanks to the urine.

• Urethritis : The urethra is part of the excretory system, since urine circulates through it. Its inflammation forms one of the main diseases of this.