Kidneys

Kidneys

by Amanda Chung

Report Number 1:

People are born with two kidneys. They are located in the place above the hips. Kidneys are bean shaped and about two inches long. The main function of the kidney is to help the body get rid of liquid waste. They do that by squeezing the liquid into the bladder. When the bladder is full, you have to go to the bathroom to empty it. If one of the kidneys is damaged or sick, you can function with only one. If both kidneys are not working anymore, the person will need a kidney transplant. A kidney transplant is when a healthy kidney is put in the person with damaged kidneys.

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Report Number 2:

The kidneys squeeze out the urine. The kidneys look like purplish-brown kidney beans and are about the size of an adult’s fist. If the kidneys fail to function, poisons build up in the body, eventually causing death. Human kidneys have three layers. These layers are called the medulla, the cortex, and pelvis. Blood flows into the medulla through the renal artery. The renal artery branches into smaller arteries within the kidney. These end in a blood-filtering unit called a nephron. Two healthy kidneys contain a total of about 50 gallons (190 liters) of blood daily. Pressure forces the blood through the small blood vessels in the kidney. The poisons are filtered out, and they become urine. The rest of the blood is recirculated back into the blood stream. Urine is made up of urea, uric acid, and excess water. A tube called the ureter carries the urine from the kidney to the bladder. Urine collects in the bladder and leaves the body out a tube called the urethra.