HS 20 - Weir
Illnesses of the Excretory System
 Proper functioning of the kidneys is essential in order for the body to maintain
________________________.
 The kidneys are affected when other systems break down
 Therefore problems with your kidneys also affect other systems
 A variety of kidney diseases can be detected by _____________________ (like the lab
we did in our nutrition unit)
 Another way to detect illnesses would be to take a _________________.
Biopsy  an examination of _____________ removed from a living body to discover
the presence, cause, or extent of a disease
Examples of Illnesses within the Excretory System
Illness
Urinary Tract
Infection (UTI)
Description
 ________ or burning
during urination
 a feeling of urgency or
feeling the need to urinate
frequently
 ______________, dark,
strong odor
Causes
 __________________
infection – travels up ureter to
bladder
 More common in women
because ureter is shorter in
females
 Sexual Intercourse can cause
an infection as well
Nephrosis
 A kidney disorder that
causes your body to
excrete too much
_____________ in your
urine
 Can cause swelling in feet
and ankles
 damage to the clusters of
small blood vessels in your
kidneys that filter waste and
excess water from your blood
(glomeruli).
 Type of arthritis that
happens when
__________________
accumulates in the joints
 when your body is
producing too much uric
acid or when your body is
 The exact reason for gout is
not yet known. It may be
passed down from generation
to generation, and it is more
common in people who drink
alcohol, and take certain
medicines
(Nephrotic
Syndrome)
Gout
HS 20 - Weir
failing to get rid of uric
acid
 causes uric crystals to
form. This leads to the
joint ________________
Horseshoe Kidney
 When kidneys ________
together at the lower end or
base. By fusing, they form
a "U" shape, hence the
name "horseshoe.“
 abdominal pain, nausea,
kidney stones and urinary
tract infections
 Occurs during fetal
development
Kidney Stones
 hard, crystalline mineral
material formed within the
kidney or urinary tract.
 Severe pain and
__________ in urine
 form when there is a decrease
in urine volume and/or an
excess of stone-forming
substances in the urine.
Glomerulosclerosis
 refers to scarring or
_____________________
of the glomeruli
 Damaged glomeruli can't
perform their job
adequately. As a result,
large amounts of protein
from the blood leak into
the urine rather than
remaining in the
bloodstream
 Infection, ______________,
drug use, can be genetic in
rare occasions
HEALTHY GLOMERULUS BIOPSY
vs.
GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS BIOPSY