An Introductory to Your Kidneys

Kidney: A pair of bean shaped organs which is responsible for discharging delicate substances from blood and regulate water and electrolyte balance. They are located on either side of the spine at the back of the abdomen.

Kidneys are central organs of the plumbing system. They discharge all waste elements and extra water in the form of urine and this process is done by filtering the blood. There are 2 kidneys in our body each situated on either side of the spine which are bean-shaped organs about the same size as a fist. At least 1 healthy kidney is required to lead a normal life.

Each kidney is wrapped in a fatty cushion and a fibrous tissue outside the fat. As told earlier their primary job is to filter the blood through puny tubes like structures or units called nephrons. Each kidney has about 1 million nephrons, although this is variable. Each nephron consists of blood vessels running into Bowman’s capsule. Blood is filtered here and the filtered fluid goes through convoluted smaller tubes where most of the fluid is absorbed along with electrolytes.

Nephrons could be lost due to diseases of the kidney, by operation, trauma, and conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes. Blood runs through nephrons and waste elements and excess water are discharged from the blood and turned into urine. Additionally, kidneys also produce hormones called erythropoietin, vitamin D which regulates calcium and even produce rennin, which is a hormone that controls blood pressure. To keep kidneys healthy it is inevitable to drink plenty of water, eat healthy diet and exercise.Book an online doctor appointment instantly for kidney problem Now .