This part of the body that is not too large has a function that you should not ignore. The kidneys are the parts of the body that are shaped like beans and each kidney is the size of a fist. These are just below the ribs, one on each side of your spine. In general, these kidneys filter about 120 to 150 liters of blood to produce about 1 to 2 liters of urine which of course consists of waste and also excess fluid.
The function of the stool is very important, namely as a part of the body that holds urine to be channeled to the bladder through two thin tube muscles called ureters. In this case, the bladder stores urine, but the muscles in the bladder wall remain calm even though the bladder fills with urine. When the bladder capacity fills with urine, a signal tells the brain that the person must immediately go to the toilet to pass urine.
It cannot be denied that this important part of the body is not widely known about the other parts and functions of this body organ. It is very important for you to know the part of the kidney, this is to make it easier for you to maintain kidney health. For that, you are required to know some parts of the kidney because they are really needed by you.
Reasons Why Kidneys Are Important
There are many explanations where the kidneys are very important for our bodies. You shouldn’t ignore this one part of the body about its role and function for our bodies. The kidneys are said to be an important part where the kidneys function to stabilize the blood and also maintain good body composition. In certain kidneys, there are several parts that do play a role in maintaining the health of the human body.
Although we often ignore the kidneys, if there is a problem with the kidneys, it will cause the health of our bodies to be very disturbed. Here are some kidney functions that you must know, including:
Removes fluids and toxins
The first function of the kidneys is to filter the blood and also remove excess fluid from the body. In addition, the kidneys can reduce the amount of salt and other minerals in the blood. If the mineral is excess, it will be filtered by the kidneys from the blood in the form of waste, namely urine.
Maintain water balance in the body
Every day the kidneys remove at least two liters from the body. Of course, some of the water is excreted by the kidneys so that there is no excess water in the blood. If there is excess blood, the blood will thin and also be quite dangerous for our bodies. In addition, the body can maintain water balance by maintaining extracellular (outside the cell) osmotic pressure. If the pressure is excessive enough, it will be excreted by the body through this important organ, the kidneys.
Maintain blood pH
The next function that you should not ignore is that the kidneys can maintain blood pH. The kidneys are indeed a part of the body to keep blood levels from being too acidic. In this case the kidneys maintain a blood plasma pH of about 7.4 through the exchange of hydronium and hydroxyl ions. As a result of this, urine can produce acidic substances at pH 5 or alkaline at pH 8.
Regulate the volume of fluid in the blood
In addition, the kidneys also have a function to control the amount of blood fluid in the body and keep it balanced. Without control of the kidneys, of course, the body will become drier due to lack of fluids in the blood. That way, the body will sink because the fluids in the body accumulate and are not wasted.
Reprocessing substances
As we know that certain substances are produced by the body. However, it turns out that the substances have been processed inside digestive system will be reprocessed by the kidneys. This is of course the possibility that the substances that have been released have a good function. That way the substance will be returned to the blood to be distributed to several parts of the body that need it. Substances that are generally reprocessed by the kidneys include salt, water, amino acids and glucose. The process of returning this substance is still useful for blood which is called reabsorption.
Control blood sugar levels
Kidneys are very important for the health of the human body. However, the kidneys certainly function to regulate excess and deficiency in blood sugar by using the hormones insulin and adrenaline. This is indeed very important to avoid diabetes. Insulin here does function as a hormone to lower blood sugar levels if the blood sugar levels are in excess. Meanwhile, adrenaline here plays a role in raising blood sugar levels when the blood sugar levels are not sufficient.
Get rid of substances that are not needed by the body
In another function, the kidneys can excrete substances that are detrimental to the human body such as purine substances that cause uric acid, urea, creatinine, bacteria, ammonia and also drugs. If these substances are not excreted by the body, there is a possibility that these substances will become toxic so that they are very dangerous for the health of the body.
Control of substances and hormones
Another function of the kidneys is the kidneys as a producer of substances and hormones such as renin, calcitriol and erythropoietin. The hormone produced by the kidneys is the erythropoietin hormone, abbreviated as EPO. This EPO hormone functions to stimulate an increase in the rate of red blood cell formation by the spinal cord. Meanwhile, renin functions to regulate blood pressure in the body. Meanwhile, calcitriol plays a role in forming vitamin D and maintains the chemical balance in the body and can maintain the calcium in your spine.
Maintain a balance of acid and alkaline levels
Another function of the kidneys that is not widely known by most people is the function of the kidneys to maintain a balance of acid and alkaline levels of body fluids. This condition is done by removing excess acid and also alkaline in the urine.
Regulate the volume of fluid in the blood
The kidneys, of course, can control the amount of fluid in the blood to keep it balanced in the body. Without control of the kidneys, the body will dry out due to lack of blood fluids or vice versa. Of course, the body will sink because of the flood of fluids in the body that accumulates and is not wasted.
Regulate potassium levels in the blood
Potassium (K)
or potassium is a mineral content that functions to keep all cells, tissues and organs in the body functioning properly. Potassium here is very important for the body. However, if the potassium levels are too excessive, there is a possibility of hyperkalemia which can cause the heart muscles to stop beating or beat irregularly. On the other hand, if your body is deficient in this one substance, don’t be surprised if your body feels tired and there is muscle weakness. Therefore, the kidneys are very important because they can function to regulate the level of potassium in the blood by absorbing or removing the potassium that enters the nephron.
How Do Kidneys Work?
Each kidney must contain about a million filtering units known as nephrons. Of course, each nephron will filter a small amount of blood. In this case the nephron includes the filter part called the glomerulus and also the tubule. Nephron itself works by going through several processes, namely the glomerulus is possible if fluids and waste products pass through. However, it prevents blood cells as well as large molecules and substances such as proteins. The fluid that is successfully prevented is of course filtered, then passes through the tubules which send minerals that are needed by the body for metabolic processes. Meanwhile, if nothing is needed, it will be disposed of into waste and in the form of urine.
Some Things You Need To Remember About The Kidneys
You need to know that every day the kidneys filter about 120 to 150 liters to produce about 1 to 2 liters of urine which consists of waste and extra fluid. The kidneys are very important for maintaining the composition and also stabilizing the blood which allows the body to function properly. Of course, each kidney consists of more than a million filtering units called nephrons. The nephron here functions to isolate substances needed by the body and send the substances needed by the body back into the bloodstream or dispose of them into urine. Here are some things you need to remember about kidney performance.
Those are some things you need to know about kidneys and also how they work for our bodies. Hope it is useful!
