How to Draw and Label a Human Excretory System Diagram, Step by Step
The human excretory system is one of the quickest diagrams in Class 10 Biology (Life Processes): two kidneys, two ureters, the bladder and the urethra. It is easy to draw, which also makes it easy to lose marks on small mistakes. The steps below keep it neat.
The finished human excretory system diagram with all 5 parts labelled. The steps below build it up one part at a time.
What the human excretory system does
The kidneys filter waste out of the blood and make urine. The ureters carry urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder, where it is stored. The urethra carries it out of the body.
Draw it in 8 steps
Use a sharp pencil and draw lightly at first. In every picture, red is what to draw in that step and grey is what you have already drawn.
Left kidney
Draw a bean shape on the left: rounded on the outside, with a dip (the hilum) on the side facing the middle.
Parts drawn: Kidney
Right kidney
Draw the second bean on the right, a little higher than the first, with its dip facing the middle.
Inside the left kidney
In the dip of the left kidney draw the short branching lines where urine collects: the renal pelvis.
Parts drawn: Renal pelvis
Inside the right kidney
Draw the same branching lines in the dip of the right kidney.
Left ureter
From the left kidney draw a thin tube going down and slightly inwards: the ureter.
Parts drawn: Ureter
Right ureter
Draw the second ureter from the right kidney down to the same place.
Urinary bladder
Where the two ureters end, draw the urinary bladder: a round bag that narrows to a funnel at the bottom.
Parts drawn: Urinary bladder
Urethra
From the bottom of the bladder draw a short straight tube going down: the urethra, which carries urine out.
Parts drawn: Urethra
Parts to label (5) and what each one does
- Kidney One of a pair of bean-shaped organs that filter waste such as urea out of the blood and make urine.
- Ureter The tube that carries urine from each kidney to the urinary bladder.
- Renal pelvis The funnel-shaped space inside the kidney where urine collects before it goes down the ureter.
- Urinary bladder A muscular bag that stores urine until it is passed out.
- Urethra The tube through which urine leaves the body.
Write each name on the side of the diagram, joined to its part with a straight line. Keep the lines from crossing.
Human Excretory System diagram without labelling (practice sheet)
The same diagram with the label lines but no names (an unlabelled diagram). Write each part's name on its line, then check your answers against the labelled diagram at the top.
Download free PDF (A4, 3 pages)
Page 1: the labelled diagram. Page 2: this practice sheet with a word bank of all 5 parts. Page 3: all 8 drawing steps on one page.
Exam tips
- Draw both kidneys as beans with their dips (the hilum) facing the middle.
- Draw the kidney on the right of your picture a little higher. In the body, the left kidney sits slightly higher than the right.
- Bring both ureters down to the top of the bladder, then add the urethra at the bottom.
Common mistakes
- Mixing up the ureter and the urethra.
- Drawing the kidneys with their dips facing outwards.
- Forgetting to label the renal pelvis inside the kidney.
Exam questions on the human excretory system diagram
QuestionDraw a labelled diagram of the human excretory system.
Draw the two bean-shaped kidneys with the renal pelvis on the inner side of each. Then draw a ureter from each kidney down to the urinary bladder, and the urethra leading out of the bladder. Label all five.
QuestionWhat are the main functions of the kidneys?
They filter nitrogenous waste such as urea out of the blood and make urine. They also keep the right balance of water and salts in the body.
Questions students ask
What is the difference between the ureter and the urethra?
There are two ureters: they carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. There is one urethra: it carries urine out of the body.
What is the functional unit of the kidney?
The nephron. There is a step-by-step nephron diagram on this site too.
Where is urine stored?
In the urinary bladder, until it is passed out through the urethra.
Practise it on your phone
These steps come straight from the free Android app How To Draw Diagram Science. In the app you can view the human excretory system with every part named, learn to draw it step by step on a numbered grid, take a quiz on the parts and label it yourself.
