The role of the liver is to filter toxins and remove them from the body in the form of nitrogenous waste. Nitrogenous waste is ammonia, urea and uric acid. In the human body only ammonia and urea are produced and the liver quickly changes the harmful ammonia into the tolerable urea for excretion from the body.
Ammonia is toxic to humans in high concentrations (see Table 1). Ammonia is the by-product of protein being broken down. Ammonia is formed by the breakdown of amino acids taken from excess proteins. The liver converts the ammonia into urea, which is then removed from the body in the form of urine (BBC Science and Nature – Human Body and Mind – Organ Layer – visited 14 April 2014).
This conversion is done through the urea cycle (see Figure 1) in the liver. The urea cycle is the conversion of carbon dioxide and ammonia into urea and water. After the ammonia is changed into urea, it is transferred into the bloodstream and on to the kidneys. Then the kidneys filter the urea out of the blood. The urea is mixed with water and the urine is expelled from the body via the bladder whilst keeping the water balance isotonic. Urea is the by-product of the urea cycle, which converts the highly toxic ammonia into the tolerable urea. The liver is the only place in the body where the complete urea cycle is observable (Neonate/Infant/Child with Hyperammonemia – 2013).
Water balance is maintained throughout the body but the kidneys play a major role. The kidneys normalize the quantity of water in the body and balance the absorption of mineral ions in the blood (Homeostasis – Kidneys and water balance – ABPI – resources for schools – visited 14th April). They achieve a state of homeostasis that, according to ABPI resources for schoo...
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Urea Cycle Diagram. n.d. [image online] Available at: http://newenglandconsortium.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/urea-cycle-rev-6-26.jpg [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].
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YouTube. 2012. The Excretory System: From Your Heart to the Toilet - CrashCourse Biology #29. [Online] Available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtrYotjYvtU [Accessed: 14 Apr 2014].
Hydrating is very important to your body's ability to function. Your body must intake water as we constantly let off water as said i pg 1 of ‘Strange but True: Drinking Too Much Water Can Kill’ it states “At every moment water escapes the body through sweat, urination, defecation or exhaled breath, among other routes.” As it's been told that water is good for you and needed no one has ever thought of actually being able to overdue it. When you take in water your kidney stores up to a gallon of water so as to keep you hydrated. In the article mentioned previously it also states in pg 10, “every hour a healthy kidney at rest can excrete 800 to 1,000 milliliters … therefore a person can drink up to 800 to 1,000 milliliters per hour without experiencing a net gain in water”. Therefore your body is built
Liver is a vital organ and performs several roles; produce proteins that help the blood to clot and removing body wastes; regulates the supply of substances such as glucose throughout the body (Potter et al., 2012). To be able to perform these functions the liver cells must function normally. Alcohol abuse is usually connected to alcoholic liver disease that permanently damaged the liver due to excessive drinking and continued excessive drinking can shorten lifespan. If liver cirrhosis has not yet occurred, the liver can heal once the patient stop drinking alcohol (ABS, 2010).
The kidneys are located in the posterior section of the retroperitoneal cavity and are small, dark red kidney-bean shaped organs in the lower part of the rib cage (Marieb, The Urinary System, 2015). They are undervalued organs considering how essential they are for the body’s ability to maintain homeostasis. The kidneys filter about 120-150 quarts of blood to produce about 1-2 quarts of urine each day (NIH, 2014). Blood initially enters the kidneys through the renal artery. It then flows into the segmental artery before moving into the interlobar artery. From the interlobar artery the filtrate enters the arcuate artery before branching into the cortical radiate artery, which feeds into the afferent arteriole, before passing into the glomerulus where it begins to filter out waste. The filtered waste is then collected by renal tubule. The tubules drain to collecting ducts and all of these components together makes up a small unit called a nephron. Each kidney has over a million nephrons (Marieb, Blood Supply/ Nephrons, 2015). They filter out wastes that run through different body systems via blood; the majority of that waste is nitrogenous wastes, toxins, excess fluids, electrolytes, and drugs. These waste products are eliminated as urine. While waste are removed vital enzymes, hormones, and water are returned
The kidneys play a major role in the blood composition and volume , the excretion of metabolic wastes in the urine, the control the acid/base balance in the body and the hormone production for maintaining hemostasis. The damages to the GBM in the glomeruli alter filtration process that allows the protein and red blood cells to leak into the urine. Loss of protein like albumin in the urine results in a decrease of their level into the blood stream. Consequently, this patient’s blood reveals a decreased albumin (Alb) value of 2.9 g/dL, decreased serum total protein value of 5 .0 g/dL and in the urine presents of the protein and the RBCs. Impaired filtering capacity result in inability of kidneys to excrete excretory products like electrolytes and metabolic waste products that will then accumulate in the blood. Furthermore, inability of distal convoluted tubules to excrete sufficient quantities of potassium, sodium, magnesium (Mg), chloride (Cl), urea, creatinine (Cr), alkaline phosphatase (Alk Phos), and phosphate (PO4) results in their elevation in the blood. His laboratory values reveal an increased of sodium value of 149 meq/L, an increase of potassium value of 5.4meq/L, increased chloride value of 116 meq/L, increased blood urea nitrogen (BUN) serum of 143 mg/dL, and increased creatinine serum of 7.14 mg/dL. The other abnormal blood tests associated with a loss of kidneys’ filtration property identify in this patient are related to an increase of alkaline phosphatase value of 178 IU/L, increased magnesium value of 3.8mgdL, and increased phosphate (PO4) value of 5.9 mg/dL .
Through performing dissections, the interrelationships between functioning systems can be further understood. In the dissection of the fetal pig, three interrelationships can be defined: cardiovascular and respiratory, digestive and excretory, and digestive and cardiovascular.
The chemistry test shows the levels of electrolytes found in the blood: sodium, potassium, chloride, phosphorus, magnesium and calcium. Imbalances in these electrolytes can cause complications, which especially in the case of potassium, can be deadly. Also shown by the chemistry test, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine levels can show how well the patient’s kidneys are functioning in filtering waste from the blood. Trauma and blood loss can affect how the kidney’s function not only in filtering waste, but also in acid-base balance, and balancing electrolyte levels. Another marker of kidney function is the glomerular filtration rate, which measures the rate filtrate is created by the glomerulus of the kidney (Winkelman, 2016). This is controlled by the kidneys themselves, meaning changes in the function of the kidneys can lead to an altered filtration rate (Winkelman, 2016). Lactic acid is measured by the chemistry test also, and an increase in lactic acid can signify acidosis caused by the lactic acid being formed by cells that do not have adequate oxygen to process glucose for energy (Workman, 2016). This decrease in available oxygen could be caused by damage to or impairment of the lungs. Carbon-dioxide, which is also measured by the chemistry test, can show
Haven't you ever wondered what would happen if you didn't have a digestive or circulatory system? Well, basically you wouldn't be able to be reading this or even be alive. While there are many important systems in the body, the circulatory and digestive are the two most important. There are many ways that they are similar, different, and how they work together.
The urinary tract consists of two kidneys, to ureters, urethra, and the urinary bladder. The urinary system works to remove waste from the body, maintain homeostasis of water, blood pressure, and regulate the body’s pH levels. The kidneys regulate several important internal conditions by excreting substances out into the body. After urine has been produced in the kidneys it is then transported to the urinary bladder via the ureters. The urinary bladder then holds the urine until the body is ready for excretion through the urethra.
Try to imagine yourself, sitting at lunch, enjoying your sandwich and a few strawberries along the way. Once you are done your delicious meal, you take one last drink of orange juice and head to your next class. In a few minutes you are thinking about your upcoming visit to the mall. You've completely forgotten about that sandwich you had just ate. But it is still sitting in your stomach!! Now how does this work, how did your body absorb all that food? It all goes back to the digestive system.
The blood then passes through the liver which removes impurities and toxic substances. The “cleansed” blood with its valuable cargo of vitamins and minerals, flows to the different organs of the body.
The filtered blood leaves the kidney along the renal veins. The filtered waste products are excreted by the kidney as urine. A narrow tube called the ureter carries urine from the kidney to the bladder. From there the urine is excreted through a single tube, called the urethra. Kidney structure: If you cut a section through the kidney, three areas can be seen:
These wastes are derived from the liquid and food that the individual had consumed. In cases of compromised kidney function, the kidneys are no longer able to remove or filter wastes in the normal way. This means that wastes are left to accumulate in the bloodstream. When this scenario takes hold, it can negatively impact the patient 's electrolytes, therefore, positive action has to be taken to optimize the situation. When patients follow a renal diet it can help to slow down the advancement of total kidney failure, and ameliorate kidney function. Along with chloride and potassium, sodium represents one of the body 's main three electrolytes. The latter manipulate the fluids with enter and leave the body’s cells and tissues. Therefore, patients with renal disease must monitor their intake of electrolytes. Keeping a daily food dairy is essential (Nephcure), and will be of great benefit to the dietitian who can pinpoint certain details.
The human body is very complex. It is like a job. You have to do a million things in one day to make it through the day. The body uses nine systems to do all of those jobs. They all have separate functions, but some work together. Each system is also made up of organs. There are many ways to care and protect the systems from the many different problems they can have. There are also many interesting facts about each system.
The kidneys are a bean-shaped organ in the human body and they have different functions and are of vital importance for it. The kidneys are the pair of organs, which are able to regulate the reabsorption of ions such as potassium, sodium and calcium, which are fundamental substances for the cell. Furthermore, they are involved in the reabsorption of nutrients in the bloodstream and they can regulate the acidity of the blood. Besides the regulation of the fluids and ions, the kidneys are also responsible for the regulation of many different hormones that are involved in homeostasis and metabolism. Because of their importance in the regulation of substances in the body, when the kidneys stop working properly all the body is influenced by that creating disequilibrium in the maintenance of homeostasi...
The digestive system is a very important system in the human body. It is a group of organs that work together to turn food into energy and nutrients in the entire body. The food that was chewed in a humans’ mouth now passes through a long tube that is inside of the body that is known as the alimentary canal. The alimentary canal is made of the oral cavity, pharynx, esophagus, stomach, small intestines, and large intestines. Those few things are not the only important accessories of the digestive system there is also the teeth, tongue, salivary glands, liver, gallbladder, and pancreas.