kidney
Sign in to saveIn humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood exits into the paired renal veins. Each kidney is attached to a ureter, a tube that carries excreted urine to the bladder.
AI overview
Your kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that filter waste and extra water from your blood to make urine. They're essential for removing these unwanted substances from your body and maintaining the right balance of water and chemicals in your bloodstream.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Anatomy.Name
- Kidneys
- Anatomy.Latin
- ren
- Anatomy.Greek
- νεφρός (nephros)
- Anatomy.Image
- Blausen 0592 KidneyAnatomy 01.png
- Anatomy.Caption
- The kidneys lie in the retroperitoneal space behind the abdomen, and act to filter blood to create urine
- Anatomy.Image2
- Diagram showing the position of the adrenal glands CRUK 343.svg
- Anatomy.Caption2
- Location of kidneys with associated organs (adrenal glands and bladder)
- Anatomy.System
- Urinary system and endocrine system
- Anatomy.Artery
- Renal artery
- Anatomy.Vein
- Renal vein
- Anatomy.Nerve
- Renal plexus
via Wikipedia infobox
Article
41 sectionsContents
- Structure
- Gross anatomy
- Blood supply
- Nerve supply
- Microanatomy
- Gene and protein expression
- Development
- Function
- Formation of urine
- Filtration
- Reabsorption
- Secretion
- Excretion
- Hormone secretion
- Blood pressure regulation
- Acid–base balance
- Regulation of osmolality
- Measuring function
- Clinical significance
- Acquired disease
- Kidney injury and failure
- Dialysis
- Congenital disease
- Diagnosis
- Imaging
- Biopsy
- Other animals
- Evolutionary adaptation
- Society and culture
- Significance
- Egyptian
- Hebrew
- India: Ayurvedic system
- Medieval Christianity
- History
- Additional images
- See also
- References
- Citations
- General and cited references
- External links
In humans, the kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped blood-filtering organs that are a multilobar, multipapillary form of mammalian kidneys, usually without signs of external lobulation. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and in adult humans are about in length. They receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood exits into the paired renal veins. Each kidney is attached to a ureter, a tube that carries excreted urine to the bladder.
The kidney participates in the control of the volume of various body fluids, fluid osmolality, acid–base balance, various electrolyte concentrations, and removal of toxins. Filtration occurs in the glomerulus: one-fifth of the blood volume that enters the kidneys is filtered. Examples of substances reabsorbed are solute-free water, sodium, bicarbonate, glucose, and amino acids. Examples of substances secreted are hydrogen, ammonium, potassium and uric acid. The nephron is the structural and functional unit of the kidney. Each adult human kidney contains around 1 million nephrons, while a mouse kidney contains only about 12,500 nephrons. The kidneys also carry out functions independent of the nephrons. For example, they convert a precursor of vitamin D to its active form, calcitriol; and synthesize the hormones erythropoietin and renin.