Introduction
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 Disorders of the Excretory System
1. What are the Examples of the Excretory System?
Some of the prominent excretory system examples are the kidneys, lungs, large intestine, sweat glands, and liver. Together these systems are responsible for removing the excess products of the metabolism process.
2. Which Diseases Affect the Excretory System?
Diseases that affect the excretory system are nephritis, uraemia, kidney stone, polyuria, anuria, oedema, etc. These diseases are not fatal if diagnosed and treated early. A healthy lifestyle can also prevent most of these diseases.
3. What is Renal Failure?
Renal failure is when kidneys struggle to process urine via glomerular filtration. It is further categorized into two types, acute and chronic. In the case of ARF, the kidney suddenly stops working, whereas in case CRF kidneys lose their abilities gradually over time.
4. What are anuria and polyuria and what is the difference between both of these disorders?
Anuria is a condition where there is no passage of urine observed. There are various treatment options but two of the primary treatment options are increasing the fluid and electrolyte intake. Whereas, polyuria is a condition where there is excessive or frequent passage of urine. It is observed when the Kidneys are unable to filter and reabsorb the water that is present from the urine. It Is quite commonly seen in those people who have conditions such as diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus. The difference between both conditions is the amount of urine that a body releases.
5. What are some of the most commonly observed Disorders of the Excretory System?
Some of the most commonly observed Disorders of the Excretory System can be provided as follows:
Renal Tubular Acidosis: This condition is observed when a person is unable to secrete all the needed amount of hydrogen ions due to which a large amount of sodium bicarbonate ions are released or lost during urine passage.
Diabetes Insipidus: This condition occurs due to the deficiency of the Antidiuretic hormone. This hormone leads to the reabsorption of water by distal parts of the nephron and hence prevents diuresis, also called the process of urine production. The deficiency of ADH secretion will also tend to result in excessive production of dilute urine and an intense amount of thirst.
Oedema: Oedema is said to be the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues that are present in the body. An excess amount of sodium ions will result in an increase in the volume of the interstitial fluid without having a change in their osmolality.
6. How is a diagnosis of renal failure done?
Renal failure is mainly understood by the decrease in the amount of glomerular filtration rate which is also said to be the rate at which the blood is filtered in the glomeruli of the Kidney. This is checked by a decrease in the levels of urine production or by the determination of waste products such as urea or creatinine in the blood. Depending on the reason the loss of blood in the urine or protein loss in the urine can be noted down. There may also be some major issues with the increased fluid levels in the body which leads to swelling raised levels of potassium, increased level of phosphate, and anaemia. Bones in the body are also affected by this condition.
7. What are urinary tract infections and what are the signs and symptoms of UTI?
Urinary Tract Infections also called UTIs are bacterial infections that arise in various parts of the urinary tract. When the bacteria get into the bladder or Kidney they tend to produce more bacteria in the urine causing UTIs. One of the most common types of UTI is a bladder infection. Women tend to get UTIs more often than men do. These can however be treated with antibiotics. Most of them are not serious however some infections may lead to serious problems such as Kidney scars, high blood pressure, poor kidney functions. Some of the signs and symptoms of UTIs can be provided as follows:
Frequently or high urges to urinate even when only a little urine is needed to pass
Fever
Cloudy, dark, or blood and foul-smelling urine
Burning sensation when urine passes.
8. Why is it necessary to learn about the Disorders of the Excretory System?
Disorders of the Excretory System are something that is related to the human body and remaining aware of these will help avoid any such problems from occurring. These are hence not only important for learning about the human body but also for students as it is a very important topic during the exams. Students can hence check out the Vedantu NCERT Solutions for Biology in which the answer and all the details regarding the Disorders of the Excretory System are provided.
