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Kidney function
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Kidney function means filtering the blood. A healthy kidney filters roughly half a cup of blood every minute, and from that blood it removes waste and extra water to make urine.
It does this with tiny parts: each kidney holds about a million filtering units called nephrons. Each nephron has two parts, a filter called the glomerulus and a small tube called the tubule, and they work in two steps. First the glomerulus filters the blood; then the tubule returns to the blood what the body does need and gets rid of what it does not. That is why the kidney is not just a strainer: it also gives things back. And it does more: it removes the acid the cells produce and balances the water, salts and minerals in the blood, such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus and potassium.
In brief
Healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood every minute, removing waste and extra water to make urine.
Each kidney holds about a million filtering units called nephrons, and each nephron works in two steps: the glomerulus filters the blood and the tubule returns what the body needs and removes the waste.
The kidneys also remove acid made by the cells and keep the blood's water, salts and minerals, such as sodium and potassium, in balance.
Sources (1)
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney DiseasesYour Kidneys & How They Work
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
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