Key Causes and Symptoms of Excretory Disorders
It is said that you need to drink water well. But have you ever wondered why? It’s because lack of water may lead to Disorders of the Excretory System - Kidney Failure, Kidney Stone, and Uraemia. These disorders can lead to your lifestyle changing completely and hence affect your overall health as well. Check out the Disorders of the Excretory System article for more details on Vedantu.
The excretory system is an essential biological structure responsible for removing excess or waste products from the human body to maintain homeostasis. These products are results of metabolism, and they leave the human body in the form of sweat, urine and faeces.
Even though several organs are associated with this process, the term excretory system is used for organs directly related to the expel procedure. It includes the Kidneys, sweat glands, liver and large intestine. Excretory system diseases occur when one or more excretory systems stop functioning properly. It is not an ideal situation at all. Due to this, an individual can suffer from various types of ailments.
Role of Various Excretory Systems
Kidneys are responsible for filtering waste products and excess water from the blood.
The liver breaks down spare amino acids and other toxins within the blood.
Additionally, the large intestine has the responsibility of eliminating solid wastes left after the digestion of food.
The sweat glands aids in getting rid of additional water and salt via sweat.
Last but not least, the lungs exhale carbon dioxide and water vapour.
As mentioned above, the improper function of these organs can lead to several diseases, and some of them can be fatal.
Disorders of the Excretory System
Here is a list of some prominent diseases of the excretory system –
Kidney Failure or Renal Failure
It is one of the most significant amongst urinary system diseases and disorders. It occurs when Kidneys struggle to filter urine via glomerular filtration. Renal failure is further classified into two types, acute and chronic.
Acute Kidney failure occurs when both the Kidney suddenly stopped working. The symptoms of ARF are swelling of hands, face and feet, internal bleeding, seizures and even coma.
On the other hand, chronic renal failure is when the Kidneys lose their capacity gradually over time. Some of the prominent symptoms of CRF are sudden weight loss, high blood pressure, cramps, easy bruising, etc.
Kidney transplant and dialysis are the treatments available for Kidney failure.
Kidney Stone
Also regarded as renal calculi, Kidney stones are a deposit of minerals and acid salts within the Kidney. The exact reason for this disease is hard to determine as it varies from one person to another. However, some of the prominent ones are excess body weight, certain medical conditions, and regular use of various supplements and medicines.
The symptoms of Kidney stone are severe pain on the sides of the abdomen, back pain and nausea. Even though it is a painful scenario, Kidney stones usually do not leave any permanent damages.
Drinking plenty of water and some prescribed drugs can cure this problem. However, in the case of bigger stones, medical procedures are required.
Uraemia
Uraemia is the third name on this excretory system diseases list. This disease is a result of an increase in the urea level in blood.
This condition occurs when the Kidney losses its capability of filtering waste. The symptoms of uraemia are nausea, fatigue, loss of appetite, mental confusion and a metallic taste in the mouth.
Haemodialysis is the common treatment for this condition.
Nephritis
It is another significant excretory system disease. Here nephrons, the functional elements of the Kidney, becomes inflamed. This situation is also called glomerulonephritis. The exact cause of this disorder is hard to determine, and it can develop with time.
Some prominent symptoms of nephritis are foamy urine, blood in urine, change of urine colour, etc. Regular medication and dialysis, if needed, can cure this disease.
Other notable disorders of the excretory system are renin secretion, oedema, urethritis, anuria, polyuria, etc.
The significance of a well-functioning excretory system cannot be stressed enough. It keeps an individual healthy and devoid of several major health issues.
If you want to learn more about excretory system diseases or any other topic of Biology, you can browse through our study materials available in both our website and App. You can also join our live online classes that are guaranteed to help you ace your exams.
FAQs on Excretory System Disorders Explained
1. What are the major disorders affecting the human excretory system as per the CBSE Class 11 syllabus for 2025-26?
The human excretory system can be affected by several disorders. According to the CBSE syllabus, the key disorders students should know about include:
- Uremia: The accumulation of urea in the blood due to kidney malfunction.
- Renal Failure: A partial or complete loss of kidney function.
- Renal Calculi: Commonly known as kidney stones, which are hard deposits of minerals and salts.
- Glomerulonephritis: The inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidneys.
- Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs): Infections in any part of the urinary system.
2. What is renal failure, and what is the main difference between its acute and chronic types?
Renal failure, or kidney failure, is a condition where the kidneys lose their ability to adequately filter waste products from the blood. The two main types are differentiated by their onset and progression:
- Acute Renal Failure (ARF): This is a sudden and rapid loss of kidney function that develops over a few hours or days. It is often reversible if the underlying cause is treated promptly.
- Chronic Renal Failure (CRF): This involves a gradual and progressive loss of kidney function over several months or years. The damage is typically irreversible and may eventually require dialysis or a kidney transplant.
3. What exactly are kidney stones, and what causes them to form?
Kidney stones, also known as renal calculi, are solid, stone-like lumps formed from crystallised salts and minerals within the kidney. They form when urine becomes concentrated, allowing minerals like calcium, oxalate, and uric acid to crystallise and stick together. These stones can cause severe pain when they pass through the urinary tract.
4. Can you explain the condition of Glomerulonephritis?
Glomerulonephritis, also known as Bright's Disease, is the inflammation of the glomeruli, which are the tiny filtering units within the kidneys. This inflammation impairs the kidney's ability to filter waste and excess fluids from the blood. It can be caused by infections, immune diseases, or other underlying conditions and may lead to renal failure if not managed.
5. How does uremia develop, and why is this condition considered a medical emergency?
Uremia develops when the kidneys fail to excrete urea, a primary nitrogenous waste product, from the body. As kidney function declines, urea and other toxic substances accumulate in the blood to dangerous levels. This is a medical emergency because high levels of urea are toxic to the body's cells, particularly those of the central nervous system. It can lead to confusion, seizures, coma, and eventually death if not treated urgently, typically with haemodialysis.
6. How do the conditions of Polyuria and Anuria reflect different types of kidney function problems?
Polyuria and Anuria are opposite conditions that indicate different failures in kidney function:
- Polyuria is the passage of an abnormally large volume of dilute urine. It often reflects a problem with water reabsorption in the nephrons, a common symptom in conditions like Diabetes Mellitus (due to osmotic diuresis) or Diabetes Insipidus (due to deficiency of ADH).
- Anuria is the non-passage of urine, meaning the kidneys are not producing it. This signals a severe or complete failure of glomerular filtration, which can be caused by acute kidney injury or end-stage renal disease. It is a much more critical sign than polyuria.
7. From a biological standpoint, why are Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs) more common in females than in males?
The higher incidence of UTIs in females is primarily due to anatomical differences. The female urethra is significantly shorter than the male urethra, providing bacteria with a shorter path to reach the bladder. Additionally, the opening of the female urethra is closer to the anus, which is a reservoir for bacteria like Escherichia coli (E. coli), the most common cause of UTIs.
8. What is the working principle behind haemodialysis for treating renal failure?
Haemodialysis works on the principle of diffusion and ultrafiltration to artificially filter a patient's blood. Blood is drawn from an artery and passed through a dialyser, often called an 'artificial kidney'. Inside, the blood flows through tubes made of a semipermeable membrane (cellophane). These tubes are bathed in a special fluid called dialysate, which has a similar composition to normal blood plasma but lacks nitrogenous wastes. Due to the concentration gradient, waste products like urea and creatinine diffuse from the blood into the dialysate. The cleansed blood is then returned to the body through a vein.
