Introduction
Excretion is the process of removal of harmful metabolic wastes from an organism’s body. Excretion is useful in the following ways:
- Maintain correct ionic balance in the body
- Maintain correct amount of water in the body
- Toxic level rises in body leading to diseases
- Immunity is adversely affected
Major nitrogenous wastes in the body are:
- Ammonia
- Most toxic form of nitrogenous wastes
- Aquatic animals are Ammonotelic
- Excretion through body/ gill surfaces
- Urea
- Lesser toxic than Ammonia
- Terrestrial animals are Ureotelic
- Excretion through Kidneys
- Uric acid
- Least toxic form
- Birds, insects & reptiles are Uricotelic
