Kidney and the Urinary System

This is a nice educational video that explains how the kidney works as a part of the urinary system.
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How Our Kidneys Work

We've gone through the basics of our kidney, along with the important functions it performs. As we mentioned, the kidneys are two bean shaped structures in charge of filtering waste products out of our bodies. It does this after our digestive systems have absorbed the nutrients from the food we eat.

Here's how.

The process of filtration begins when we eat food or drink any beverage. The body then absorbs the nutrients it needs from the food and the rest becomes waste products. Some of this waste wind up in our blood, and need to be filtered out otherwise after a while our blood will be full of toxins and we will get sick.

What happens next is something similar to the how machines use oil. A machine is filled with oil that is clean. After some time of operating, the oil in the machine carries a lot of dirt and waste products, thus turning from the once golden color to a dark color. When this happens, the oil can then be filtered and recycled in order to be re-used again.

With respect to the kidney, things start with the blood with that needs to be filtered. The blood travels from the heart through the renal artery into the kidneys where there are millions of filtering units called nephrons that clean the blood and remove the extra fluids. Each nephron is comprised of a glomerulus and tubules. It is in the glomerulus where water and small particles in the blood are filtered to make urine.

The waste and extra fluids then travel through tube-like structure of the tubules where several processes take place to turn those fluids into urine.

After the kidney is done with its filtering process, the extra fluids and wastes are then funneled through large tubes called ureters. Each kidney is connected to a ureter which delivers the extra waste and fluids from the kidney to the bladder where they are converted into urine. As the bladder gets filled, we feel the urge to urinate and when this occurs, urine is eliminated in the urethra and out our bodies.

Finally, the blood that has been cleaned exits the kidney through the renal vein and is circulated back to the heart. This process continuously goes on and one as long as we live.

Though their main function is to keep toxins and excess fluids from accumulating in our bodies, it is very important to remember that the kidney also fulfills many other duties that keep us feeling well.

This includes keeping our blood pressure in check and monitoring chemicals in our blood like salts and acid to keep a good balance within our systems. Then we have the production of erythropoietin, along with the bone building calcitriol hormones.

images: davita.com
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Our Kidneys

When I began my journey into understanding how to deal with my kidney issue. I had to start at the very core of what was causing all this trouble. I had to learn about the organ that in question, the kidney.

I must admit that before that time, I really didn't know much about health. Like any young man, what I knew about health was related to exercise. It was something like health = exercise + muscles. Well, maybe a little bit more, but not much more definitely.　

To this day, the more I learn the more I figure out the there is so much more I don't know about my health.

So here it is... the kidney.

The kidneys are small bean-shaped organs, about 4 to 5 inches long, that filter our blood to make urine. We are born with two kidneys, which are located in the mid to lower back, slightly below the rib cage, with one on either side of the spine.

I've come to learn that our kidneys are one of the most important organs in the human body, performing a variety of important functions that allow us to live well. Of these, the most important functions are filtering the waste products found in our blood and removing excess fluids from our bodies.

But this is just the surface. It seems that in the background, it does so many other things that is needed by our bodies in order for us to be healthy.

Blood Pressure Control

One of the most well known facts about the kidney is that it regulates our blood pressure. It does this by removing the excess salt and fluids from our blood and turn them into urine.

When our blood pressure is low, our kidneys produce a substance called renin. Renin produces a number of chemical reactions within your body to increase blood pressure.

On the other hand, when our blood pressure goes up above normal, our kidneys spring into action by not taking salt and water out of our blood. By doing so, along with constricting blood flow by narrowing our blood vessels, the kidney brings down our blood pressure.

Electrolyte Regulation

In addition to filtering the body's waste products and controlling our blood pressure, our kidneys also maintain the balance of electrolytes levels in our bodies. Electrolytes like sodium, potassium, magnesium and chloride are important to our bodies as they help in regulating hydration, and are critical for nerve and muscle function.

By removing the proper amounts of fluids from our bodies, the kidneys play a part in maintaining electrolyte balance. Too much water in our system will dilute electrolytes to the point that you could experience muscle weakness, contractions or even convulsions. While removing too much water will leave us dehydrated and concentrating the electrolytes too much.

Making Blood

One of the hidden secrets of the kidney is that it is needed by our bone marrows to produce blood. And without it we will lack blood and get very weak and sluggish. This is how it works. Erythropoietin is a hormone produced in the kidney that is needed to induce the production of red blood cells in the body's bone marrow. The kidney is the primary source for the body's erythropoietin, with the rest, about 10-15%, being produced in the liver.

Erythropoietin, yes, the word is a handful, promotes the development and differentiation of red blood cells and initiates the production of hemoglobin, which is the molecule within red cells that transports oxygen throughout the body. (more on this as we go along)

And yes, in case you are wondering, erythropoietin is also known as EPO. And it is the substance used by athletes, namely endurance athletes, to enhance performance, though the type they use is synthetic (man-made).

Bone Building

One other thing I wanted to mention was that our kidneys produce calcitriol, which is the active form of vitamin D. What calcitriol does is it regulates calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D levels to keep bones strong and healthy. By acting on cells of the intestine, calcitriol promotes calcium absorption from food. It is in this manner that our kidneys help in keeping our bones strong.

Going through all that, I am reminded by the saying that 'big things come in small packages'. This is definitely what I would say about the kidney.
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