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5. What is excretory system? Explain the structure and funcons of skin.
Ans: What is the Excretory System?
Every day, our body performs millions of activities – breathing, digestion, movement,
thinking, and many more. During these processes, the body produces waste materials such
as urea, uric acid, sweat, excess salts, water, and carbon dioxide. These wastes are harmful
if they stay inside the body for too long. Just like garbage must be removed from home to
keep it clean, wastes must be removed from our body to keep it healthy.
This job is done by the Excretory System.
Definition:
The excretory system is the system in our body that removes metabolic waste products and
maintains the internal balance of water, salts, and chemicals.
Main organs of the excretory system
Although many organs help in excretion, the main ones are:
• Kidneys – filter blood and produce urine
• Ureters – carry urine from kidneys to the urinary bladder
• Urinary bladder – stores urine temporarily
• Urethra – passes urine out of the body
• Skin – removes sweat, excess water, and salts
• Lungs – remove carbon dioxide
• Liver – detoxifies harmful substances
Among all these, today our special focus is on the skin, because it plays a major role not only
in excretion but also in protection, sensation, and temperature control.
Skin – The Largest Organ of Our Body
It may surprise you, but the skin is the largest organ of the human body. We often think of
skin only as a covering, but actually, it is a wonderful and highly complex organ that works
like a shield, a thermostat, a sense detector, and even a mini excretory organ.
Skin covers every part of our body and forms the first protective barrier between our
internal organs and the outside world. It protects us from dust, germs, chemicals, sunlight,
heat, and physical injury.
Structure of the Skin