While the kidneys are relatively small organs in comparison to the heart and brain, they are important to the process of removing water and waste from the blood. The fact that the body is constantly producing a waste product of metabolism means that your kidneys have to work around the clock to protect the body from potentially harmful effects of too much water and waste can cause. Persons suffering from kidney damage often lose their ability to remove these particles from the blood over a long period and must rely on a machine to filter blood for them. When more than 80% of filtration capacity has been lost, a kidney transplant or dialysis may be the only option for survival. Unfortunately, the number of people suffering from end stage renal disease has increased in recent years it has become more important than ever for dialysis experts to educate the public about the structure, function and health of the kidneys.
In most cases, the average in humans, both kidneys are located on either side of the body in the lower part of the abdominal cavity. Each kidney is somewhat protected external damage in the lower set of ribs. Within the kidney, several structures are referred to as nephrons that includes all anatomical components required to selectively remove particles from the blood. Renal artery carrying blood nephrons as they travel through a set of capillaries known as kidney swab. These tiny blood vessels are so small that they only allow red blood cells to pass in single file. Each kidney swab rests within the cup-shaped formation of cells called Bowman’s capsule. This capsule houses permeable membrane that contains holes just big enough for small particles, such as water and waste to go into collection tubes. These tubes transfer the filtrate through a series of loops that allow the body to absorb nutrients that it can still use and leave particles that were not initially filtered. Liquid which is still in the tube is sent to the bladder where it is stored and the urine until it can be excreted.
The kidneys are able to remove water and waste from the blood without expending energy thanks to two simple scientific principles that describe the movement of solutes and solvents. Principle is known as flow and said solutes (dissolves in water) will move the membrane from an area of high concentration of areas of low strength to strength slightly on each side is equal. This is a process that occurs when waste is filtered out of the bloodstream into the capsule Bowman’s. As the collection tubes in the kidney are constantly shunting filtrate from kidney swab, the deficit is always maintained and waste moves out of the vessels.
Another important principle in renal filtration is known as osmosis and stated that solvents such as water will move from areas of low particle concentration to areas of high concentrations of particles in order to maintain a balance across the membrane. In fact, water follows solutes through the membrane in an effort to maintain the balance of particle concentration on either side of the membrane. While the kidneys filter for water is necessary to prevent unhealthy accumulation in the body, salt mixing prevailing street bladder to allow the body to absorb water from the filtrate, it can still be used. The act of regulating the amount of water removed from the blood is a process that is used to concentrate and dilute urine.
Individuals who suffer from end stage renal disease are often unable to filter potentially harmful particles from the blood and are often subject to the procedure known as dialysis to keep them alive. Dialysis uses a machine external to the body to remove water and waste that would normally be filtered out by the kidneys. Dialysis machines are designed to filter the blood with the same scientific principles used in the body. While dialysis can not fully compensate for the failure, it is to prolong life and can significantly improve health outcomes for people who suffer from ESRD.