Prepare for the Kaplan Nursing Entrance Exam with interactive quizzes. Enhance your knowledge with multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Ace your exam and advance your nursing career!

Each practice test/flash card set has 50 randomly selected questions from a bank of over 500. You'll get a new set of questions each time!

Practice this question and more.


Which term describes the removal of metabolic wastes from the body?

  1. Excretion

  2. Absorption

  3. Filtration

  4. Secretion

The correct answer is: Excretion

The term that describes the removal of metabolic wastes from the body is excretion. This process specifically involves the elimination of waste products generated from various metabolic processes, such as the breakdown of nutrients and the body's normal physiological functions. Excretion primarily occurs through organs like the kidneys, which filter waste from the blood to form urine, as well as through the skin, lungs, and gastrointestinal tract. Absorption refers to the process by which substances, such as nutrients, are taken up into the bloodstream from the digestive tract. Filtration is a method of separating particulates from liquids or gases, commonly used in contexts like the functioning of the kidneys, but it does not itself constitute the removal of wastes. Secretion involves the production and release of substances, such as hormones or enzymes, which are actively delivered to specific locations in the body, rather than the elimination of wastes. Thus, excretion specifically focuses on ridding the body of metabolic byproducts, making it the correct answer.