excretion

¹

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

1. the act of excreting.
2. the substance excreted, as urine or sweat, or certain plant products.

excretion

²

[ ik-skree-shuhn ]

noun

1. the state of being excrescent.
2. an excrescence.

excretion

/ ĭk-skrē′shən /

1. The elimination by an organism of waste products that result from metabolic processes. In plants, waste is minimal and is eliminated primarily by diffusion to the outside environment. Animals have specific organs of excretion. In vertebrates, the kidney filters blood, conserving water and producing urea and other waste products in the form of urine. The urine is then passed through the ureters to the bladder and discharged through the urethra. The skin and lungs, which eliminate carbon dioxide, are also excretory organs.

Word History and Origins

Origin of excretion¹

1595–1605; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō ) that which is sifted out. See excrete, -ion

Origin of excretion²

1605–15; < Late Latin excrētiōn- (stem of excrētiō ), equivalent to Latin excrēt ( us ) (past participle of excrēscere; ex- ¹, crescent ) + iōn- -ion

Example Sentences

Her puzzled reaction sums up the experience of watching the outrageous parade of bodily excretion and malevolent smirks that make up the directorial debut of Max and Sam Eggers, working from a short story by English author Susan Hill.

From Los Angeles Times

Saad Bhamla, an assistant professor in the School of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, and his research group hoped for an opportunity to study a cicada's fluid excretion.

From Science Daily

Their framework reveals diverse functions -- such as excretion, venom spraying, prey hunting, spore dispersal, and plant guttation -- highlighting potential applications in soft robotics, additive manufacturing, and drug delivery.

From Science Daily

"We've identified the fundamental constraints and forces that dictate these processes, offering a new lens through which to understand the principles of excretion, a critical function of all living systems. This work not only deepens our comprehension of biological functions but also paves the way for unifying the underlying principles that govern life's essential processes."

From Science Daily

The researchers published this challenge to the paradigm as a brief, "Unifying Fluidic Excretion Across Life from Cicadas to Elephants," in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of March 11.

From Science Daily