What Is The Function Of The Kidneys In The Body?
Have you ever wondered what is the function of the kidneys in the body?
The kidney is a complex organ that is responsible for removing waste substances from the body through urine. Normally, people have two kidneys, which are located in the back of the abdomen, near the spine and below the ribs.
The kidneys are shaped like beans. They are essential organs, because life is not possible without them functioning properly. However, due to technological advances, there are techniques such as dialysis or transplants that allow doctors to replace kidney function.
In addition to urine production, the kidneys are involved in many other processes, such as regulating blood pressure. Therefore, in this article, we will explain what kidneys do, what their anatomy is and what their main characteristics are.
Kidney anatomy
The kidneys, as I mentioned, are shaped like beans, with a concave and a convex side. The renal artery enters the concave part and transports the blood with the residual products from the body to the kidneys. The renal vein and ureter also come out of this part.
The kidney has two main parts: the cortex and the spinal cord. The cortex is the outer part and the one that receives the most blood flow. It is mainly responsible for filtration and reabsorption. In addition, it contains almost all glomeruli, which we will discuss later.
The spinal cord is made up of a series of structures that are responsible for directing the urine that the kidney produces to the ureter. The ureter is a tube that reaches the bladder, an organ that stores urine which it will then eliminate.
The functional units of the kidneys are the nephrons. The nephron is the place where blood filtration and urine production take place. There are about 800,000 nephrons in each kidney.
The structure of the nephrons is very complex, but at the base they are made up of a series of structures and membranes that allow the passage and filtration of blood. In addition, nephrons are responsible for the secretion of certain substances and the reabsorption of others, such as potassium.
What is the function of the kidneys in the body?
We have already mentioned that the main function of the kidneys is the elimination of substances in the urine, but it is not the only one. These organs also play a very important role in the secretion of certain hormones and substances.
First of all, we must emphasize that the kidneys allow the transformation of vitamin D into its active form. This vitamin is essential for calcium metabolism. In addition, the kidneys produce erythropoietin, which is responsible for stimulating the synthesis of red blood cells.
The kidneys are essential for certain processes that allow homeostasis. In other words, it helps the body maintain an internal balance even if environmental conditions change.
For example, the kidneys regulate both blood pressure and blood pH. It also controls the volume of the plasma, as it changes the concentration of urine and can prevent water loss in situations of dehydration.
