Essay On Human Kidney

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An organ which is vital and performs many renal functions of the body is the Kidney. It is found at the back of the abdominal wall and exists as a pair. Blood is largely responsible for sustaining health and life, performing many crucial functions such as transporting oxygen, hormones throughout the body (Will, 2013). Therefore, it is vital that blood has the correct chemical composition, maintaining correct concentration and volume by removing wastes through kidneys by converting unwanted blood plasma into urine, excreting them. The human kidney consists of three layers – cortex, medulla and pelvis in order of their location from outside to inside. The blood to be purified will enters the medulla and these arteries branch into tiny capillaries,…show more content…
Each glomerulus consists of a network of capillaries which filters water and other substances through glomerular filtration, a passive process which separates substances from blood based on their size (Akihiro, 2012). As blood flow through glomerulus, a high pressure system results which pushes fluid into the glomerular capsule through a specialized layer of cells known as filtration membrane. Only small molecules and water can pass through and enter into the Bowman's capsule and are called glomerular filtrate (Mader, 2004). It then flows further down, reabsorbing substances needed back into the bloodstream. Wastes are being filtered out while blood cells and proteins are blocked, remaining in the blood stream. • Tubular Reabsorption The process of reabsorbing water and nutrients back into the bloodstream also the next stage of urine formation. The resulting filtrate that exits the glomerulus still containing substances such as glucose, amino acids and ions that the body needs. Hence it is actively reabsorbed into adjacent capillaries through the tube wall, passing back into the renal vein which flow into the kidney, back into blood thus maintain homeostasis (Carl,
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