excreting

Everyday

1. Excreting is getting rid of waste from the body, such as urine (wee), faeces (poo) or sweat. tree →
2. In plants and other living things, excreting means pushing out waste materials they do not need. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, excretion is one of the life processes of living things (MRS GREN: movement, respiration, sensitivity, growth, reproduction, excretion, nutrition). Kidneys excrete waste in urine; skin excretes sweat; lungs get rid of carbon dioxide. Phrases: «excreting waste», «excreting through the kidneys».

Examples

• The kidneys are always excreting waste in urine. tree →
• All living things need excreting as a life process. tree →
• Fish are excreting ammonia into the water. tree →
• Plants get rid of oxygen as waste through their leaves, a kind of excreting. tree →
• Sweat is a way of excreting water and salt. tree →
• The body is excreting the medicine through the kidneys. tree →

Note

Science word; noun: excretion. Do not confuse with «secrete» (to make and release something useful, like saliva) or with «egestion» (getting rid of undigested food). Spelling: excrete (one t), excreting (drop the e).