What are kidneys?

The kidneys are kidney bean shaped organs, the filters of the body that are in the abdomen.

They are in the back protected by the rib cage and on either side of the spine.
The kidneys are smaller in children and become bigger in adulthood. Average kidney sizes is between 10 to 12 cm. The right kidney is usually bigger than the left kidney by a centimeter.

What do the kidneys do?

The job of the kidneys is to

• get rid of trash
• get rid of any excess water
• keep the body’s chemistry in order.

The body takes in food and oxygen and makes energy within the body and there is production of trash on the side.

The equation is:
Food + Oxygen = Energy + Trash.

The trash is dumped back into the blood by the various organs of the body. The blood comes into the kidneys and the trash is filtered out and gotten rid of as urine.

The body’s requirement of water is also managed by the kidneys. Irrespective of how much water the body consumes, the kidneys will keep only what is needed and get rid of the rest.

The chemical balance in the body is also the responsibility of the kidneys. Electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium …are all kept within very narrow range by the kidneys.

The kidneys are mindful not to get rid of vital blood components like blood cells and proteins.

There are about 1 million filters in each kidney to do this job.

The blood from the body enters the kidney through what is called the renal artery. Renal in Latin means kidney. The blood goes through the filters of the kidneys and then the clean blood with the right amount of chemicals, water and no trash is returned to the body through the renal vein.
Any trash, excessive water or chemicals are gotten rid of in the form of urine.
The urine from each kidney goes down tubes called the ureters into the bladder.

The bladder that sits behind the pubic bone is a muscular sack. As it fills up there are stretch nerves on the surface that send a message to the brain and the brain then tells the body to go to the bathroom.
This is how the process of elimination happens.

Disclaimer:

The information on this page is for general knowledge only. It is constantly updated to keep it current and useful. However it is not intended to use for diagnosis and treatment. Please consult with your doctor for specific issues.