The Relationship Between the Skeletal and Excretory Systems

529 Words3 Pages
One of the most important human body systems is the skeletal system. Without it, our bodies would not be able to function at all. The skeletal system provides shape and support, enables movement, protects the internal organs, produces blood cells, and stores certain materials until the body needs them. The skeleton determines the shape of a body, like a wood frame determines the shape of a house, with the backbone (vertebral column) being the center of the skeleton. By working together with muscles, the strong, lightweight bones enable movement as well. Also, they protect internal organs – the skull protects the brain; the ribs protect the lungs and heart. In addition, bones produce blood cells and other substances that the body needs. Finally, they store materials like calcium and phosphorus. These make the bones strong, and when the body needs them, the bones release small amounts into the blood. Another crucial body system is the excretory system. It is the system that collects wastes produced by cells and removes them from the body by excretion. If we didn’t have it, wastes would just pile up and make us sick. Materials that need to be eliminated from the body include excess water, carbon dioxide, and urea, a chemical that comes from the breakdown of proteins. The kidneys are the major organs of the excretory system and they get rid of urea and the extra water. The waste fluid produced by the kidneys is called urine, and it contains both these substances. When urine is formed, both wastes and needed materials, like glucose, are removed from the blood. Most of the needed material is later returned to the blood. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureters, and down into the urinary bladder, where it is stored. The kidneys act as filters and contain about 1 million tiny nephrons. As urine forms, they maintain homeostasis by regulating the water level in our

More about The Relationship Between the Skeletal and Excretory Systems

Open Document