The kidney plays a vital role in filtering waste from the blood and maintaining electrolyte balance. It is located in the back of the abdominal cavity, with each person having two kidneys. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron, which contains the filtration membrane that filters the blood to form urine by removing waste and regulating electrolytes. Kidney failure requires dialysis to filter the blood until a kidney transplant can be received.
2. MEDICAL TERMINOLOGIES WORD PART TYPE MEANING NEPHRON nephr P kidney -on S Pertaining to GLOMERULAR glomerul R glomerulus -ar S pertaining to DIALYSIS dia P through -lysis S to seperate RENAL ren R kidney -al S pertaining to
3. LOCATION OF KIDNEY Two pairs of kidney Located at the back of abdominal cavity They are both medial to the spinal cord They are also superior to the waistline.
4. FUNCTIONS OF THE KIDNEY Filtration of waste products from the blood. Tubular reabsorption of useful substances from the filtrate. Tubular secretion of unwanted substances back into the collecting ducts. Maintaining normal blood pressure by balancing electrolytes in the blood.
5. FILTERATION MEMBRANE The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Each kidney consists of thousands of nephron. Inside each nephron is the filtration membrane. Filtration membrane consists of; Wall of fenestrated capillaries of the glomerulus Basement membrane Visceral layer of glomerular capsule
6. SAILENT FACTS Approximately (1000 -1200)ml of blood pass via the renal artery into the kidney per minute. 1.5million ml of blood pass through the kidney in each 24-hour day. The net filtration pressure (NPF) is responsible for filtrate formation. People with kidney failure needs dialysis to filter their blood until they can get a kidney replacement.
