The excretory system in humans is a system whose job is to process and remove metabolic wastes and toxins from the body. If not removed from the body, these substances can cause a number of health problems.
The excretory system in humans consists of a number of organs, namely the lungs, skin, liver, and kidneys. Each of these excretory organs has a different function and way of working to remove waste and toxins from the body.
Get to know the various organs in the human excretory system
The following are some of the organs that are included in the human excretory system and the types of waste substances they dispose of:
1. Kidney
Kidneys are the main organs of the human excretory system. This organ is located on both sides of the spine, precisely in the back of the abdominal cavity. Kidneys have a shape resembling a red bean and are red-brown in color.
Humans have a pair of kidneys located on the right and left sides of the body. The right kidney is located slightly lower than the left kidney because it is close to the liver. Each kidney is about 10–12 cm long or about the size of an adult fist.
Kidneys function to filter waste from food, drugs, or toxins in the blood. In addition, the kidneys also play a role in controlling fluid balance and electrolyte levels in the body. If your body has excess salt or minerals, your kidneys will get rid of them.
The accumulated waste will then be converted into urine. Urine will flow from the kidneys to the bladder through tubes called ureters. The urine contains residual substances from the kidneys that will be wasted when you urinate.
2. Skin
Human skin has about 3-4 million sweat glands. These glands are spread all over the body, but are most abundant on the palms of the hands, feet, face, and armpits.
Sweat glands are divided into 2 types, namely eccrine glands and apocrine glands. The eccrine glands are in direct contact with the surface of the skin and produce sweat that is odorless and watery. Meanwhile, apocrine glands produce sweat that contains fat and concentrated, and is found in hair follicles, such as the armpits and scalp.
Basically, the sweat produced by these glands functions to control body temperature and lubricate the skin and hair. However, as part of the excretory system, sweat glands also play a role in removing toxins from the body through the sweat they produce.
There are several types of toxins that are excreted through the sweat glands in the skin, including metallic substances, bisphenol A, polychlorinated biphenyls, urea, phthalates, and bicarbonate. Not only toxins, sweat glands in the skin also function to kill and remove bacteria.
3. Large intestine
Basically, the intestine is divided into 2 parts, namely the small intestine and the large intestine. Most of the nutrients and about 90% of the water contained in the food and drinks consumed every day are absorbed into the small intestine.
Meanwhile, the large intestine is responsible for absorbing the remaining water and nutrients that the small intestine cannot digest. Once absorbed, the rest of the food and drink is converted into feces, then excreted through the anus when you defecate.
4. Heart
The liver is a large organ weighing about 1 kilogram. This organ, which is very important for metabolism and the immune system, is located in the upper right part of the abdominal cavity, just below the diaphragm. This organ plays an important role in the process of processing toxins or detoxification.
One of the toxic substances that is disposed of and processed by the liver is ammonia, which is a waste product from the breakdown of proteins. If allowed to accumulate in the body, ammonia can cause various health problems, including respiratory problems and kidney problems.
In the body, the liver functions to process ammonia into urea. After that, urea which is processed in the liver will be excreted through the excretory system in the kidneys through urine. In addition to ammonia, other substances that are excreted or excreted by the liver are toxic substances in the blood, for example due to consumption of alcohol or drugs.
The liver also functions to remove damaged red blood cells and excess bilirubin which can cause jaundice or jaundice jaundice.
5. Lungs
The lungs are the main organs in the human respiratory system. Through the process of breathing, the lungs are tasked with moving oxygen obtained from the air into the blood. Blood that already contains oxygen will be distributed to all tissues and organs of the body in order to function properly.
After obtaining oxygen, every cell of the body will produce carbon dioxide as a waste product of metabolism. Carbon dioxide is a toxic substance that can be harmful to health if it accumulates in the blood.
To get rid of it, carbon dioxide will be carried by the blood back to the lungs and exhaled when you exhale.
Coughing or sneezing is also a natural body mechanism that involves the lungs and airways to expel toxic chemicals or gases, dust, germs, viruses, and foreign objects that enter the respiratory system.
The human excretory system has a very large role in a person's health. The reason is, if the excretory system does not function normally, there will be many harmful substances that can accumulate in the body and cause disease.
To maintain the performance of the excretory system, it is important for you to adopt a healthy lifestyle, namely by eating a balanced nutritious diet, exercising diligently, drinking lots of water, not smoking and consuming alcoholic beverages, and getting enough rest time.
In addition, you also need to have regular health checks with your doctor so that the doctor can evaluate the function of your excretory organs and your overall health condition. If there are problems with the excretory system or other organs, the doctor will provide appropriate treatment.