Everything You Need To Know About The Urinary System
Your body is composed of hundreds of systems working together to keep you healthy and strong. One of these systems, the urinary system, operates like a plumbing system. Your kidneys, ureters, bladder, and other components work together to produce, store, and eliminate urine from your body.1 Its a pretty straightforward process, but is essential for your bodys maintenance of day-to-day life. In this article, well explore everything you need to know about the urinary system and its associated diseases.
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Kidney Structures And Functions Explained
Your kidneys are paired organs found on each side of the back portion of the abdominal cavity. The larger left kidney is located a bit higher than the right kidney. Unlike other organs found in the abdomen, the kidneys are located behind the lining of the abdominal cavity, thus they are considered retroperitoneal organs. These bean-shaped organs are protected by the back muscles and the ribs, as well as the fat that surrounds them like a protective padding. Learn more about the kidney structures and functions from this short article.
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What Does The Heart Do
The heart is a muscle that pumps blood filled with oxygen to all parts of your body. This job keeps every cell, organ, and system alive within your body. To move blood to each part of your body, your heart relies on your blood vessels. Together, the heart, blood and blood vessels make up a system called the cardiovascular system. Think of it as a delivery system. The delivery system moves blood from the heart carrying oxygen and nutrients throughout your body and also picks up waste products so that your body can get rid of them.
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How Does The Excretory System Work
Unlike other organ systems within our bodies, the excretory system is made up of a few different systems which spread throughout the body, working harmoniously to do its job. Below are details of these systems and how they work to excrete waste.
1. Urination
The urination system excretes urea from your body. Urea is produced when your body breaks down food rich in protein. It is then carried through the blood stream to the kidneys. The urea is filtered from the blood by miniscule filtering units within the kidney called nephrons. Urea, along with water and other waste substance, forms urine as it passes through the nephrons and down the renal tube.
From the kidney, the urine passes down two small tubes through to the bladder. Ureters are constantly tightening and relaxing in order to force the urine away from the kidney. Small amounts of urine are released into the bladder from the ureters. Circular muscles called sphincters help to keep the urine from leaking. Nerves in the bladder tell you when its time to empty.
2. Respiration
3. Sweating
Skin is the largest organ on the body. It protects the tissue and organs in the body and keeps the body cool through sweating. Sweating not only helps to lower body temperature, but also removes bacteria, dirt and dead skin cells from the pours, as well as excess water, salt and other wastes from the body.
4. Defecation
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Feature: Human Biology In The News
Kidney failure is a complication of common disorders including diabetes mellitus and hypertension. It is estimated that approximately 12.5% of Canadians have some form of kidney disease. If the disease is serious, the patient must either receive a donated kidney or have frequent hemodialysis, a medical procedure in which the blood is artificially filtered through a machine. Transplant generally results in better outcomes than hemodialysis, but demand for organs far outstrips the supply. The average time on the organ donation waitlist for a kidney is four years. There are over 3,000 Canadians on the wait list for a kidney transplant and some will die waiting for a kidney to become available.
For the past decade, Dr. William Fissell, a kidney specialist at Vanderbilt University, has been working to create an implantable part-biological and part-artificial kidney. Using microchips like those used in computers, he has produced an artificial kidney small enough to implant in the patients body in place of the failed kidney. According to Dr. Fissell, the artificial kidney is a bio-hybrid device that can mimic a kidney to remove enough waste products, salt, and water to keep a patient off dialysis.
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Give Two Function Of Left Kidney
I answered this
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that extract waste from blood, balance body fluids, form urine, and aid in other important functions of the body.
They reside against the back muscles in the upper abdominal cavity. They sit opposite each other on either side of the spine. The right kidney sits a little bit lower than the left to accommodate the liver.
When it comes to components of the urinary system, the kidneys are multi-functional powerhouses of activity. Some of the core actions of the kidneys include:
Most people are born with two kidneys, but many people can live on just one. Kidney transplant surgeries with live donors are common medical procedures today.
Because of all of the vital functions the kidneys perform and the toxins they encounter, the kidneys are susceptible to various problems.
Acute kidney failure is a condition in which the kidneys suddenly lose their ability to function properly. This can occur for many reasons, including:
- Infection
- Autoimmune kidney disorders
Function Of A Nephron
The simplified diagram of a nephron in Figure 16.4.6 shows an overview of how the nephron functions. Blood enters the nephron through an arteriole called the afferent arteriole. Next, some of the blood passes through the capillaries of the glomerulus. Any blood that doesnt pass through the glomerulus as well as blood after it passes through the glomerular capillaries continues on through an arteriole called the efferent arteriole. The efferent arteriole follows the renal tubule of the nephron, where it continues playing a role in nephron functioning.
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How Do The Kidneys Filter The Blood
Each kidney contains more than a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron consists of:
- Glomeruli: These groups of tiny blood vessels perform the first stage of filtering your blood. They then pass filtered substances to the renal tubules. The process is called glomerular filtration.
- Renal tubules: These tiny tubes keep water, nutrients and minerals your body needs . The tubules remove waste, such as excess acid and fluids. Your body sends the remaining waste through the kidneys collecting chambers. Eventually, it leaves your body as urine.
Improving Your Kidney Function Can Be Simple
So you see for many, improving kidney function doesnt need to be difficult. In most cases, simply by stepping to the side and getting out of your own way, checking your thoughts, fears, and excuses at the door, you can catalyse massive changes in your health, by simply allowing the healing to take place.
Rubbing Lanterns Wont Help Improve Your Kidney Function, But Heres What Can
Now stay with me I am not saying that that you can cure all by thinking just happy thoughts, wishing, and getting out of the way, no definitely not. There are many practical things you can do every day, with little to no fuss that are very effective in helping increase kidney function. Very helpful indeed.
Note: thinking positive however sure wont hurt, in fact it will go a long way your mindset is the single biggest determining factor on how quickly you heal.
So in tune with todays theme of simplicity, I would like to share with you 10 effortless tips that can be applied immediately to help your kidney function, no need to leave home, and no need to spend a dime.
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What Clinical Trials Are Open
Clinical trials that are currently open and are recruiting can be viewed at www.ClinicalTrials.gov.
This content is provided as a service of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, part of the National Institutes of Health. The NIDDK translates and disseminates research findings to increase knowledge and understanding about health and disease among patients, health professionals, and the public. Content produced by the NIDDK is carefully reviewed by NIDDK scientists and other experts.
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Each Body System Works With The Others
Each individual body system works in conjunction with other body systems. The circulatory system is a good example of how body systems interact with each other. Your heart pumps blood through a complex network of blood vessels. When your blood circulates through your digestive system, for example, it picks up nutrients your body absorbed from your last meal. Your blood also carries oxygen inhaled by the lungs. Your circulatory system delivers oxygen and nutrients to the other cells of your body then picks up any waste products created by these cells, including carbon dioxide, and delivers these waste products to the kidneys and lungs for disposal. Meanwhile, the circulatory system carries hormones from the endocrine system, and the immune systems white blood cells that fight off infection.
Each of your body systems relies on the others to work well. Your respiratory system relies on your circulatory system to deliver the oxygen it gathers, while the muscles of your heart cannot function without the oxygen they receive from your lungs. The bones of your skull and spine protect your brain and spinal cord, but your brain regulates the position of your bones by controlling your muscles. The circulatory system provides your brain with a constant supply of oxygen-rich blood while your brain regulates your heart rate and blood pressure.
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What Do The Kidneys Do
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs and are usually about the size of your fist. They are located a little below your rib cage and to the left and right of your spine. Your kidneys are powerful chemical factories and have the following jobs:
- Clean your blood of waste products and extra water
- Help control blood pressure
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How To Keep The Excretory System Healthy
After learning how does the excretory system work, its also important to know how to keep your excretory process healthy.
1. Hydration
If you dont constantly replenish your water supply, your body reserves water for its most essential functions. Drinking plenty of water will flush your blood and remove toxins.
2. Exercise
When doing exercise, the increase of your heart rate and body temperature will cause your skin to sweat and release waste. Exercising also provides a highly oxygenated blood flow to the major organs of the excretory system.
3. Healthy Diet
Eating a varied diet packed with various sourced of nutrients will benefit the functioning of your excretory system. Processed foods often contain additives and preservatives that require more effort for your excretory system to process, so they are best avoided.
4. No Alcohol or Cigarettes
The toxins in alcohol and cigarettes gradually build up in your body as a burden for your excretory system to flush out. For this reason, it is best to avoid all harmful substances that offer no health or nutritious benefits.
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How Does Kidney Disease Affect Your Body
Kidney disease can affect you in a number of different ways. These include:
Proteinuria or protein in the urine is frequently the earliest symptom of kidney disease. You will have read, in the previous section, how the kidney works and that the kidney has about a million filters. When the kidney is healthy it allows very little protein into the urine. If these filters become leaky, small amounts of protein will leak into the urine. This is frequently an early sign of kidney trouble long before the kidney function itself begins to deteriorate.
Doctors frequently test patients urine for the presence of blood or protein, to try to detect kidney disease early. There are many causes of protein in the urine, including diabetes and glomerulonephritis. Whilst your doctor will conduct a number of special blood tests, to try to determine the underlying cause, it may be necessary to undergo a kidney biopsy, to establish the exact cause of the protein.
Patients who have very large amounts of protein in the urine, , are described as having nephrotic syndrome. Patients with nephrotic syndrome frequently have swollen legs.
Haematuria or blood in the urine can either be present in amounts that you can see or in amounts that you cannot see in which it is only detected with urine testing. Blood in the urine may not appear red but more like strong tea coloured.
What Is The Function Of Our Kidneys
The kidneys are a very important organ in the body. They are two bean-shaped organs, each about the size of a fist, located just below the rib cage, one on each side of your spine. The kidneys are responsible for getting rid of waste products, drugs, and toxins through our urine.
Your kidneys also:
- Produce hormones that affect blood and bones
- A kidney is composed of tiny units called nephrons
- Nephrons consist of glomeruli and tubules
- Glomeruli are small blood vessels that filter wastes and excess fluids
- Tubules collect the waste to form urine
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How The Kidneys Work
Kidneys are a pair of organs shaped like kidney beans. In children, theyre each about the size of the childs fist.
The most important job of the kidneys is to filter liquid waste from the blood and get rid of it in the form of urine. Kidneys are part of the bodys urinary system.
Each kidney contains millions of tiny structures called nephrons. The nephrons act as filters and work continuously to perform several important functions in the body:
- Filtering waste from the body
The kidneys produce urine to carry the liquid waste and extra fluid they have filtered out of your childs body. The urine travels from the kidneys through tubes called ureters to your childs bladder, where urine is stored. When your child goes to the bathroom, urine passes out through the urethra.
- Maintaining chemical and fluid balance
The kidneys help balance the chemicals in your childs blood, such as sodium, potassium and calcium, by controlling the volume of fluid in the body.
Proper balance is necessary for other systems in the body to work well. An imbalance may affect various organ systems.
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The 7 Functions Of The Kidneys
Most people know that the primary function of the kidneys is to eliminate waste products from the body by flushing them out with urine. However, did you know that there are at least 6 other fabulous functions you should thank your kidneys for?
Shaheen Motiwala, MD is one of our nephrologist at Florida Kidney Physicians who loves to educate patients. Here is a brief overview of the 7 primary functions of the kidneys to help patients become more familiar with how these amazing organs work.
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What Is Kidney Failure
Kidney failure means one or both kidneys can no longer function well on their own. Sometimes, kidney failure is temporary and comes on quickly. Other times, it is a chronic condition that can get worse slowly over a long time.
Kidney failure may sound serious, and it is. But treatments such as dialysis and kidney transplant help many people with limited kidney function continue to live fulfilling lives.
Everyday Connections: Stem Cells And Repair Of Kidney Damage
Stem cells are unspecialized cells that can reproduce themselves via cell division, sometimes after years of inactivity. Under certain conditions, they may differentiate into tissue-specific or organ-specific cells with special functions. In some cases, stem cells may continually divide to produce a mature cell and to replace themselves. Stem cell therapy has an enormous potential to improve the quality of life or save the lives of people suffering from debilitating or life-threatening diseases. There have been several studies in animals, but since stem cell therapy is still in its infancy, there have been limited experiments in humans.
Acute kidney injury can be caused by a number of factors, including transplants and other surgeries. It affects 710 percent of all hospitalized patients, resulting in the deaths of 3540 percent of inpatients. In limited studies using mesenchymal stem cells, there have been fewer instances of kidney damage after surgery, the length of hospital stays has been reduced, and there have been fewer readmissions after release.
How do these stem cells work to protect or repair the kidney? Scientists are unsure at this point, but some evidence has shown that these stem cells release several growth factors in endocrine and paracrine ways. As further studies are conducted to assess the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapy, we will move closer to a day when kidney injury is rare, and curative treatments are routine.
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What Do Kidneys Do
One of the main jobs of the kidneys is to filter the waste out of the blood. How does the waste get in your blood? Well, your blood delivers nutrients to your body. Chemical reactions in the cells of your body break down the nutrients. Some of the waste is the result of these chemical reactions. Some is just stuff your body doesnt need because it already has enough. The waste has to go somewhere this is where the kidneys come in.
First, blood is carried into the kidneys by the renal artery . The average person has 1 to 1½ gallons of blood circulating through his or her body. The kidneys filter that blood about 40 times a day! More than 1 million tiny filters inside the kidneys remove the waste. These filters, called nephrons , are so small you can see them only with a high-powered microscope.
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