The KIDNEYS Information & Facts

The Kidneys

The kidneys are a pair of organs located in the back of the abdomen. Each kidney is about 4 or 5 inches long -- about the size of a fist.

The kidneys' functions are to filter the blood. All the blood in our bodies passes through the kidneys several times a day. The kidneys remove wastes, control the body's fluid balance, and regulate the balance of electrolytes. As the kidneys filter blood, they create urine, which collects in the kidneys' pelvis -- funnel-shaped structures that drain down tubes called ureters to the bladder.

Each kidney contains around a million units called nephrons, each of which is a microscopic filter for blood. It's possible to lose as much as 90% of kidney function without experiencing any symptoms or problems.

Information found on the WebMD site

 

A Few Kidney Facts:
1. The kidneys have a higher blood flow than even the brain, liver or heart.
2. The kidneys reabsorb and redistribute 99% of the blood volume and only 0.1% of the blood filtered becomes urine.
3. Kidney stones are an accumulation of mineral salts and mostly combined with calcium which can lodge anywhere along the course of the urinary tract.
4. Refined carbohydrates and sugar help the body make kidney stones.
5. Sugar will stimulate the pancreas to release insulin. This causes extra calcium to be excreted in the urine…alas, kidney stones.
6. An excess of milk or antacids may cause kidney stones.
7. Each kidney is about 4 ½ inches long.
8. Each kidney weighs approximately 4 to 6 ounces.
9. The kidneys of a newborn baby are about 3X larger in proportion to body weight as in the adult.
10. The volume of urine excreted daily varies from 1000 to 2000 ml (averaging 1500 ml). 1000 ml (milliliters) = 1 liter.

Ten Kidney Facts found by Anatomy in Motion

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