Organs of the system

Although the kidneys are the main organs of excretion, several other organs also excrete wastes. They include the large intestine, liver, skin, and lungs. All of these organs of excretion, along with the kidneys, make up the excretory system.

Organs of human excretory system:- Kidneys, Ureter, Urinary bladder, Urethra

The kidneys are part of the urinary system. They are bean shaped organs that are located on either side of the backbone at the level of stomach and liver.

The kidney's primary function is the elimination of waste from the bloodstream by production of urine. Other homeostatic functions are:-maintain volume of extracellular fluid, maintain ionic balance in extracellular fluid, maintain pH and osmotic concentration of the extracellular fluid, excrete toxic metabolic by-products such as urea, ammonia, and uric acid.

The kidneys do this with nephrons. Nephrons are the structural and functional units of the kidneys. A single kidney may have more than a million nephrons! These nephrons act as filters inside the kidneys.

Ureters (tubes) carry the waste products from kidneys to the urinary bladder for temporary storage and urethra passes it out of the body. Renal blood vessels supply blood to kidneys.