Endocrine System
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7.19 Gall Bladder Stones – The gall bladder removes water from the bile and stores it in a concentrated form. Sometimes bile becomes too concentrated, and hard concentration of minerals and salts, called gall stones, form. If the gallstones are large enough to block the flow of bile out of the gall bladder, they cause a great deal of pain.
7.20 Belching – Burps or belches are simply the sound of gas leaving your body. When we eat or drink, we also swallow air. There may be other causes like carbonated drinks and whipped products like ice cream, smoke and chewing gum. Those bubbles in the body need to escape. Gas is also produced from the stomach, travels up the foodpipe and comes out of the mouth. Usually, a belch is a body’s way of saying that the meal was good!
7.21 Flatulence – The average individual normally has 150-300 ml of gas in the stomach and intestines at any one time. On average, people pass 500-2,000 ml of gas in 10-12 episodes daily. Gas is eliminated by belching or passing it through the rectum. Men produce more gas than women do, but the flatus of women contains more of the most offensive gas, hydrogen sulphide. Gas originates from swallowed atmospheric air, bicarbonate neutralization of stomach acids, diffusion of gases into the intestine from the blood and bacterial fermentation in the intestines. The main gases produced are hydrogen and carbon dioxide and minute quantities of other gases like methane and, of course, sulphur containing compounds especially hydrogen sulphide that raises the stink. Typical culprits are non-absorbable complex carbohydrates (like soya and red kidney beans); fructose; artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol; medications; abnormal bacterial colonisation of the small intestine; abdominal distension, gaseousness and bloating; inadequate digestive enzymes; high fibre-rich diets; carbonated beverages; lactose intolerance; irritable bowel syndrome.
8. The Excretory System
What is Excretory System?
8.1 Your excretory system removes the waste products of metabolism from your body. It also removes excess water and minerals. Your kidneys are the main organ of excretion, but your respiratory and digestive systems also play a role. In addition, a small amount of waste products are excreted by the sweat glands.
The Kidneys and Urinary Tract
8.2 In addition to its role in digestion, the liver converts the toxic waste products of metabolism into less toxic ones: urea and uric acid. These and other toxic substances in the bloodstream must be removed. The renal arteries carry blood containing toxic substances to the kidneys. The kidneys remove urea and uric acid from the bloodstream and turn them into the liquid called urine. Peristaltic contractions move urine from the kidneys through the ureters to the bladder. Urine collects in the bladder until it leaves the body through the urethra.
8.3 In addition to forming urine, the kidneys maintain the body’s internal chemical balance by first removing water and minerals from the bloodstream and then reabsorbing the amount of water and minerals needed by the body. The clean blood with its adjusted chemical composition then leaves the kidneys through the renal veins. The kidneys are amazingly efficient; one healthy kidney can easily meet the body’s needs.
