Excretion
The biological process of eliminating metabolic waste products from the body, including nitrogenous wastes (urea, uric acid), carbon dioxide, and excess water and salts.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"... uptake by plants, nitrogen transfer through food webs as herbivores consume plants and predators consume herbivores, nitrogen return to soil through excretion and decomposition, nitrogen release from decomposing organic matter back to forms accessible to plants. No central authority plans or coordinates th..."
"...ms digest organic matter for energy and nutrients, they release inorganic nutrients (NH₄⁺, NO₃⁻, PO₄³⁻, K⁺, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺) through respiration and waste excretion. This mineralization makes nutrients available for plant uptake. Humus formation: Not all organic matter is completely decomposed."
Biological Context
Different organisms excrete different nitrogen waste forms based on water availability. Aquatic animals excrete ammonia (toxic but dilutes easily). Mammals convert it to urea. Birds and reptiles produce uric acid (water-conserving). Excretion is essential—waste accumulation is toxic.
Business Application
Organizations must excrete too—eliminate outdated products, exit failing markets, remove poor performers, shed bureaucratic waste. Failure to excrete leads to toxicity: bloat, inefficiency, accumulated bad decisions. Regular organizational excretion maintains health.