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| YOUR KIDNEY
| | What
are the kidneys?
The kidneys are
two fist-sized organs, about 4 inches (11.25 centimeters) long. They are located
in your back, above your waistline, and are protected by your ribs.
What
functions do healthy kidneys perform?
| • | They
balance the body's water content. | |
• |
They
remove waste products from the blood. Waste products come from body cells and
foods that are eaten. | |
• | They
help keep body chemicals in balance. | |
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The kidneys work hard to remove extra waste and fluid from
your body.
Think of the kidneys as filters. Blood passes through
the kidneys and is cleaned. Each day, the kidneys produce about 200 quarts (or
190 liters) of fluid and reabsorb all but one to two quarts, which come out as
urine.
How
does this work? -
First, the renal arteries supply blood to the kidneys.
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Then, inside the kidneys, millions of filters called glomeruli filter the blood
to form urine. Tubules attached to these filters save some things the body needs.
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The excess waste products and extra fluid that the body does not need are removed.
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The clean blood returns to the body through the renal veins.
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The waste and extra fluid (urine) is carried from the kidneys to the bladder by
tubes called ureters.
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The bladder holds the urine until it is passed from the body.
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