Human Body Project: Excretory System

createdbyDariaHoang,JacobJossart,ZachMuzzarelli,andCrisBoggio

BackgroundInformation&FactsabouttheExcretorySystem:
Whatorgansystemareyoumodeling?Whatarethefunctionsofyourorgansystem?

Wearemodelingtheexcretorysystem,whoseprimaryfunctionistohelpmaintain
homeostasis
byeliminatingexcesswasteproductssuchassalt,carbondioxide,andurea.
Urea
isthemostcommonformofmetabolicwaste.Itisaconvertedformofammonia,which
istoxictothebodyevenwithinasmallperiodoftime.Theexcretorysystemencompasses
threemainorgans:theskin,lungs,andkidneys.

Thekidneysaretwoorgans,aboutthesizeofaclenchedfisthere,wasterichbloodenters
throughthe
renalartery.
Afterfiltrationhasoccurred,cleanfilteredbloodleavesthroughthe
renalvein
andreturnstothebodyforuse.Theleftoverwasteproducts,whichconsistof
excesswater,urea,andsalt,exitthroughthe
ureter
andform
urine.

Structurally,thekidneyshavetwomainsections:theouterpart,the
cortex
,andtheinnerpart,
the
medulla.Arterioles
branchofffrommainarteriesinthekidneyandleadtothe
nephrons,
functionalunitsofthekidneylocatedinthe
cortex
.Eachnephronhasa
Bowmanscapsule,
whichcontainsafinebedofcapillariescalledthe
glomerulus.
Atthispoint,bloodgetsfiltered
inthesecapillaries(pressurefiltration).Becausecapillariesaresothin,cellscandirectly
diffuseacrosstheirpermeablemembranes.Theresultingfiltratecontainswater,urea,
glucose,salt,aminoacids,andsomevitamins.

Becausefiltratestillcontainsmaterialsvaluabletothebody,reabsorptionoccurs:nutrients,
aminoacids,andglucosearereabsorbed.

Hydrogenions
,whichmakesolutionsacidic,arethensecretedintothefiltratethrough
capillariesfromhereon,thefiltrateisthenconsidered
urine
.Theurineisconcentratedinthe
loopsofHenle
.Muchofthewaterinurineisreabsorbedhereinordertocombatdehydration
abalancebetweenwaterandsaltconcentrationisessentialforthebodytomaintain
homeostasis.Lastly,urineisstoredinthe
bladder
untilreleasedintothe
urethra
.

OurModel:
Whatfunctionsdoesyourmodeldemonstrate?Howdoesitdemonstrateeach
function?Whatfunctionsofyourorgansystemarenotdemonstratedbyyourmodel?If
youhadunlimitedtimeandresources,howwouldyoudemonstratethesefunctions?
Whatscientificprinciplesdidyouneedtounderstandinordertobuildyourmodel?

Ourmodeldemonstratesseveraloftheexcretorysystemsmainfunctions.First,itshowshow
diffusionoccursinthekidney.Weutilizeddialysistubingandiodinetoshowhowwaste

productsmoveacrossaselectivelypermeablemembrane:inourmodel,theiodinemoves
acrossthetubingintothesurroundingwater.

Wealsodemonstratehowthewasteisthentransportedtothebladderviatheureter.With
anotherdifferentlycoloredtube,wealsoshowhowsomematerialsarereabsorbedand
returnedtothebody.

Weusedapumptocontinuallyreplenishthewatersupplyinthecupcontainers,which
representsthenotionofthekidneyscontinuallyreceivingbloodtofilter.

Inordertomakeandunderstandtheexcretorysystem,wehadtoknowseveralscientific
principles,including:
1. Diffusion
2. Selectivelypermeablemembranes(capillaries)
3. PressureFiltration
4. Osmosis
5. Reabsorption
6. Secretion
7. CompositionandChemistryofBlood
8. RelationshipbetweenWaterandSalt

Ifwehadunlimitedresourceandtime,wewouldbuyanicerpieceofwoodandconstructa
moresturdymodel.

DesignProcess:
Howdidyoucomeupwiththeideas?Howdidyourgroupdecideontheideas/plan
thatresultedinyourmodel?Whatideaswereconsideredandthendismissed?Why
weretheydismissed?Whatproblemsdidyoufaceinthedesignprocessandhowdid
yousolvethem?Howmanytimesdidyouhavetoredesign,test,andimprove?

Wecameupwiththeideaafterstudyingtextbooksandbrowsingtheinternetformodelideas.
Wedecidedonthefirstversionofourmodelbecausewethoughtitwouldbeagood,
aestheticwaytodemonstratethefunctionsoftheexcretorysystem.Weinitiallywantedtouse
PVCpipeandathreedimensionalstand,aswedseeninmanufacturedmodels,butitproved
difficulttoholdtheweightofthestructureupononepost.

Intheend,wescrappedourfirstmodelandwentwithaslightlyalteredversion:thistime,
insteadofhavingeverythingstandingup,wesetitagainstawoodenboardbutused
protrudingmaterialsinordertoshowthesystem.Thismadetheentiresystemeasiertodeal
with.

Eveninthatmorestableposition,werealizedthatthecontainersweusedtorepresentthe
kidneyslarge,cumbersomeplasticcontainersweretooweaktoholdupwhentheywere

filledwithwater.Wethentookapartourmodelonceagainandreplacedtheminfavorof
smaller,andthereforestronger,plasticcontainers.

Intotal,weredesignedourmodelaboutthreemajortimes.

Collaboration:
Whodidwhat?Howdideachmemberofthegroupcontribute?Howdidyoudecide
whowoulddowhat?Didyouleveragestrengthsandtalentsofpeopleinyourgroupor
wasitrandomorvolunteerbased?

Inourgroup,onepersondidmostoftheresearchwhiletheotherthreeworkedonbuildingthe
model.Wedecidedonthisarrangementafterweighingeachmembersstrengths:threewere
moreadepttohandsonconstructionwhiletheotherwasstronginmeticulousresearch.

DiscussProjectManagement:
Howwastheworkmanagedinyourgroup?Wastherealeader?Didyouchoosea
leader?Howdidyoucommunicatewitheachotheraboutideasandlogisticsof
buildingthemodel?Howdidyouresolvedisagreements?

Workwasmanagedinrelationtoourgrouproles.Mostoftheresearchingfellunderthe
responsibilityofouroneresearchermostofthebuildingfellunderthethreeconstructors.
Withineachdivision,therewasaleaderwhotookcharge.Overall,wehadgood
communicationasaresult,wewereabletomaketheconnectionbetweenmostofthe
biologicalprincipleswithourmodel.

RelationtotheRealWorld:
Howcouldwhatyoulearnedduringthisproject,yourmodel,theconceptsusedinyour
modelorthedesignandbuildingprocessrelateto,contributeto,orhelpareallife
situation?

Understandingtheexcretorysystematboththemolecularandsystematiclevelcancontribute
greatlytoareallifesituation.