The Excretory System — Interactive Diagram
See how your kidneys filter the blood and remove waste as urine.
TL;DR: See how your kidneys filter the blood and remove waste as urine.
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
The Excretory System: See how your kidneys filter the blood and remove waste as urine.
Why it matters: The kidneys, nephron and the path of urine are key to understanding how the body removes waste and balances water.
The Excretory System — Step by Step
- Blood full of waste flows into the two bean-shaped KIDNEYS through the renal artery.
- Inside, millions of tiny filters called NEPHRONS clean the blood — keeping useful things and removing urea and extra water.
- The waste liquid (URINE) flows down the ureters to the BLADDER, where it is stored until it leaves the body.
Quick Notes — the Exam Crux
- Excretion removes toxic wastes (mainly urea) and balances water and salts.
- Two kidneys filter the blood; each contains about a million tiny filters called nephrons.
- Nephrons filter waste and reabsorb useful substances (glucose, most water) back into the blood.
- Urine (water + urea + salts) flows from each kidney down a ureter to the urinary bladder.
- The bladder stores urine, which then leaves the body through the urethra.
- Urea is made in the liver from the breakdown of excess proteins.
Remember It (Memory Trick)
Kidneys filter blood → make urine → ureter → bladder → urethra. The filtering unit is the nephron. "Kidneys clean, bladder stores, urethra pours."
Real-Life Example
Doctors tell you to drink plenty of water in summer so your kidneys can flush out waste easily — dark yellow urine is a sign the kidneys are conserving water.
Test Yourself
What is the functional (filtering) unit of the kidney?
The nephron.
Trace the path of urine from the kidney to outside the body.
Kidney → ureter → urinary bladder → urethra → out of the body.
Which waste is mainly removed in urine, and where is it made?
Urea, which is made in the liver.
📖 Read the full explanation of The Excretory System →
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