Know Your Kidneys

The kidneys are a pair of organs located behind the abdominal cavity on each side of the spine. An adult kidney weighs between 125 and 170 g in males and between 115 and 155 g in females. The left kidney is usually slightly larger than the right.

Though the kidneys are part of the urinary system, they have various other important functions. The kidneys receive blood from the renal arteries. They excrete urea and uric acid. They also help maintain pH value by regulating the bicarbonate concentration in our body. The kidneys also help regulate the concentration of substances such as sodium chloride, potassium, urea, glucose, and other ions in blood. The water balance in the blood is also maintained by the Kidneys.

It is a little known fact that the kidneys also help regulate blood pressure. The kidneys secrete a variety of essential hormones, including erythropoietin, calcitriol, and renin. These help stimulate production of red blood cells, intestinal absorption of calcium and regulation of blood pressure respectively. Humans can survive with only one kidney.

There is a higher occurrence of kidney disease in people with high blood pressure and diabetes.