The kidneys are responsible for removing waste from the bloodstream. They are bean shaped organs located on either side of the body. If one kidney fails or is removed, the other can perform double duty to filter the blood. Dialysis is the process of filtering the blood using a machine when the kidneys fail. Kidney transplantation is also an option for those with kidney failure. Maintaining healthy kidneys is important as kidney disease is a leading cause of death.

1. Illustrated and Animated
The Urinary System
By
Dean Berry, Ed. D.
The Teachers’ Choice Library

2. We’ve all been informed by our bladder that it’s getting
to the tipping point and quick action is necessary.

3. Animals usually don’t follow standard protocol when urinating. In fact,
dogs can be very annoying since they think the world is their bathroom.

4. Removing waste from our bodies is a very serious
issue and truly can be considered a life or death
situation. Failure to remove uric acid and other
waste materials from the blood stream can result
in a deadly buildup of toxic chemicals.

5. Which organ is responsible
removing unwanted waste
from the bloodstream?
Where is this organ located?

6. Every cell in our body needs to excrete waste such as
salts, minerals, and proteins that are not needed. Those
materials enter capillaries near the cells and then flow into
the blood vessels that return blood to our excretory organs
such as the liver, the lungs, and the kidneys. While the liver
removes toxins and old blood cells, the kidneys remove
salts, minerals, and proteins such as uric acid from he
blood stream.

7. All gas burning automobile engines have oil filters that keep the oil from getting
too dirty to do a good job of lubricating the moving parts of the engine.
Likewise, the blood supply of humans needs to be filtered in order to keep the
blood from getting contaminated with too many waste materials.

8. The kidneys, human blood filters, are bean shaped brownish organs
located on two sides of the body. If one fails or is removed,
what happens to the human body?

9. The urinary system is composed of a complex group of blood vessels
such as the aorta, renal vein and artery, and thousands of small
capillaries that cover the kidney tissue. Both kidneys are connected to
the bladder by the ureters which carry the urine away from the kidneys.

10. Inside the kidneys are around a million tiny structures called nephrons
that filter the blood as it passes through bundles of blood vessels
referred to as glomerulus. If the nephrons or the glomerulus become
diseased, renal failure will result.

11. Blood moves in and out of the tiny nephrons as part of the filtering
process. The kidneys are like a mini factory going through microscopic
maneuvers at very rapid speeds. As long as this procedure is not
interrupted, our kidneys will keep our blood free of unwanted debris.

12. The kidney has an adrenal gland parked on its top, a
ureter(tube like structure) that carries urine to the
bladder below, and a cortex that protects the outer
and inner medulla.

13. Keeping our kidneys healthy is very important. More
people in the United States die from kidney failure than
from breast and prostate cancer every year.

14. Kidney failure can be caused by many different conditions. However,
the vast majority of kidney failures are a result of diabetes and
high blood pressure.

15. Most kidney disease is a gradual process in which the ability of the
kidneys to filter effectively is reduced. Kidney failure occurs in stages of
mild to severe functioning. What can be done for people
who have failing kidneys?

16. Dialysis is the first step in helping those with kidney failure.
What is dialysis?

17. Can you use this diagram to explain
the process of dialysis?

18. Having a donor’s kidney transplanted into the patient with kidney
failure is a life saving procedure. Unfortunately, there is a major
shortage of kidney donors and an extremely long waiting list. Donor
kidneys are flown by jet from all over our country to lucky recipients.

19. Although heart and lungs must be transplanted within four to six
hours of the donor’s death, kidneys can last up to seventy-two
hours and still be good for transplantation.

20. Kidney transplant surgery usually takes two or three hours
and requires two weeks in the hospital. After about a year, the
new kidney is considered a successful transplant. What is
organ rejection?

21. Kidney stones can be a serious problem. What is
a kidney stone? How can it be
resolved?

22. Kidney stones are clumps of calcium that form from concentrated
urine. They can cause severe pain and require simple or more
complex surgery to correct. How might hydration affect
the development of kidney stones?

23. How do you interpret the meaning of
these illustrations?

24. Frequent alcohol consumption can create
problems for the proper functioning of the
bladder.

25. Our kidneys remove waste material from our blood and send
the resulting urine to our bladder. Most bladders hold about
two cups of urine before nerves in the bladder opening send
messages to the brain that the urine must go.

26. The lower portion of the mid brain contains the
micturition center which controls the bladder’s
release of urine to be excreted from the body.

27. The urinary bladder is a hollow organ with the flexibility to expand
until it fills to about sixteen ounces of urine. The ureters carry the
filtered waste from the kidneys to the bladder. The urethra is the tube
that carries the urine from the bladder to the outside. Can the
bladder become cancerous?

28. Bladder cancer is a fairly common disease. What
happens to normal tissue cells when
they become cancerous? How do
cancerous cells become a life
threatening problem?

29. This is a chemotherapy procedure used to fight bladder
cancer. Do you know how chemotherapy works
as it fights cancer?

30. The urinary bladder is composed of a thick but flexible, muscular tissue
imbedded with blood vessels and nerves. Why do you think the
bladder has muscles and nerves throughout the
tissue?

31. In review, our kidneys serve as a filter to extract waste material from
our bloodstream. Every ten to fifteen seconds urine drips down into
the ureter and enters the bladder. After filling up with about sixteen
ounces of urine, the main nerve by the urethra is stimulated and sends
a message to the brain which signals the muscles to force the urine
out and down the urethra.

32. Group Discussion

33. Prepare to Write