It's no secret that many people can perfectly understand the structure of distant galaxies or find the cause of a malfunction in a car engine in five minutes, and at the same time not even know where this or that organ is located in their body. In particular, few people can clearly explain what the significance of the kidneys is, what functions they perform, and what needs to be done to avoid he alth problems due to a malfunction in their work. We will try to answer all these questions in this article.
Description
Kidneys are a paired organ. They are located just below the waist, but not symmetrically. The right kidney is displaced downwards, as the liver is located above it. However, both kidneys are approximately equal in size. Each is approximately 12 cm long, 3-4 cm thick, and 5 cm wide. The weight of the kidneys is 125-200 g. This means that the mass of each of them is less than 1% of the human body weight. Leftmay be slightly larger than the right.
Building
The kidneys are made up of nephrons. In a he althy person, there may be almost 2 million nephrons in the body, in which urine is formed. Inside each of them is a renal corpuscle with tangles of capillaries. They are surrounded by a two-layer capsule lined with epithelium from the inside. Outside, this whole "construction" is protected by a membrane and surrounded by tubules.
Nefrons are of 3 types. They are distinguished by the structure and location of the tubules:
- superficial;
- intracortical;
- juxtamedullary.
How the kidneys work
This body is constantly in action. Those who are interested in the structure and function of the kidneys should know that they do not stop blood circulation all the time. Blood is supplied by an artery that divides into many arterioles. They bring it to each ball. As a result, urine is produced in the kidneys.
It goes like this:
- in the first stage, the plasma and fluid contained in the blood are filtered in the glomeruli;
- formed primary urine is collected in special reservoirs, where the body absorbs all useful substances from it;
- due to tubular secretion, excess substances move into the urine.
Within 24 hours, the body repeatedly pumps all the blood present in the body. And this process does not stop. Every minute the body processes 1 liter of blood.
What is the function of the kidneys
This body plays the role of a kind of filter. The main function performed by the kidneys is urination. She is extremely important. That is why nature provided a person with 2 kidneys, and in rare cases there may even be 3. If one of the kidneys fails, the human body can function normally even with one kidney.
The main functions of the kidneys also include:
- excretory;
- ion-regulating;
- metabolic;
- endocrine;
- blood creation function;
- osmoregulatory;
- concentration.
How filtering works
Kidneys are not limited to pumping blood. In parallel with this process, they remove microbes, toxins, toxins and other harmful substances from it that pose a danger to the normal functioning of the organs and systems of the human body.
Then, the decay products end up in the blood plasma, which takes them to the ureters, and from there to the bladder. During urination, all harmful substances are removed from the human body. The ureters are equipped with a special valve that opens only in one direction to prevent the excreted toxins from getting back in.
Homeostatic and metabolic functions
This body effectively regulates the volume of interstitial fluid and blood. This is achieved by ensuring the equilibrium of the ions contained in the cells. Equally important is the metabolic function of the kidneys. It manifests itself in the form of metabolism of carbohydrates, proteins and lipids. This body is also directly involved in the processgluconeogenesis, which is triggered by fasting.
Besides, it is in the kidneys that the "normal" vitamin D is transformed into its more effective form - D3 and enters the body through the so-called skin cholesterol produced under the influence of the sun's rays.
This organ is also responsible for the active synthesis of proteins necessary as a building material for the formation of new cells.
Endocrine and protective functions
The kidneys help the body fight alcohol, drugs, nicotine and the harmful effects of medications. In addition, they synthesize hormones, enzymes and essential substances such as:
- calcitriol, which regulates calcium levels;
- erythropoietin, which causes blood synthesis in the bone marrow.
- renin, which regulates the amount of blood;
- prostaglandins, lipid substances that control blood pressure.
How the kidneys are regulated in the body
Hormones have a great influence on the volume and composition of urine that is excreted by the body per day:
- adrenaline secreted by the adrenal glands reduces urination;
- estradiol regulates the level of phosphorus and calcium s alts in the blood;
- aldosterone, synthesized by the adrenal cortex, with excessive secretion causes sodium and fluid retention in the body, and with its lack, a lot of urine is excreted, which leads to a decrease in blood volume;
- parathyroid hormone - stabilizes the excretion of s alts from the body;
- vasopressin - regulates the level of fluid absorption in the kidneys;
The amount of liquid consumed during the day affects the activity of the central osmoreceptors of the hypothalamus. With an excess of water, it decreases, which leads to an increase in the volume of urine excreted by the kidneys. If the body becomes dehydrated, activity increases and the amount of fluid leaving the body decreases. A very dangerous situation can arise if the hypothalamus is damaged, when the volume of urine can reach 4-5 liters per day.
Kidney function is not only regulated by hormones. Their activity is greatly influenced by the vagus nerve and sympathetic fibers.
Which symptoms should see a doctor
Kidney problems are a very serious threat to he alth, so when they occur, a visit to the doctor should not be postponed.
And the fact that there may be a violation of kidney function may be indicated by the presence of several symptoms at once from the following list:
- fatigue;
- lowered immunity (consecutive infectious and cold diseases);
- high temperature that stays between 37-37.5 degrees Celsius and rises slightly in the evening;
- frequent and painful urination;
- discoloration of urine;
- polyuria (excretion of too much urine, which becomes excessively light);
- presence of blood clots in the urine;
- appearance of edema around the eyes, on the feet, shins, fingers;
- appearance of frequent, achinglower back pain that gets worse when standing upright.
Why medical care should not be neglected
Many people put off going to the doctor, hoping that everything will "resolve" on its own. Such hopes are in vain, because in this way you can only aggravate your problems and lead to a complete violation of the functions of the kidneys in the body. At first, the disease can become chronic, and then lead to kidney failure. In this case, the cardiovascular, neurological, musculoskeletal, endocrinological systems and the gastrointestinal tract will be affected. Serious treatment will be required, and in advanced cases - hemodialysis. In this procedure, the patient's blood is cycled many times through the filter of the artificial kidney machine. Each hemodialysis session lasts several hours. A patient needs 2-3 such procedures per week, so the patient is deprived of freedom of movement, as he must visit a medical institution where he is being treated every 2-3 days. And so on until the end of life, at least until medicine comes up with an alternative to hemodialysis.
Who should do prevention
Especially attentive to their he alth should be those whose next of kin had or have impaired kidney function. Alertness should cause frequently recurring sore throats and / or unstable blood pressure. It is better to start with a visit to a qualified therapist. Most likely, he will offer to take urine and blood tests, and also prescribe an ultrasound. If the results are "suspicious", a nephrologist and/or urologist should be consulted. In general, it is believed that people over 40 should have an annual kidney ultrasound.
What is useful
Knowing the structure and function of the kidneys is not enough. It will also be useful to get acquainted with the recommendations of specialists that will help to avoid problems in the activities of this body.
In order for kidney function not to be disturbed, it is required to consume at least 2 liters of water daily. It is this amount that is optimal for the normal functioning of the human body. In addition, with such a drinking regimen, the blood will be sufficiently diluted, which will facilitate its filtration by the kidneys.
Eating cranberry or lingonberry juice will also be useful for this organ, helping to remove excess fluid from the body and lowering the concentration of urine, which prevents the formation of stones.
Eating watermelons, pumpkins, zucchini and melons, which have an excellent diuretic effect and contain many vitamins and trace elements, is very useful for kidney he alth.
An active lifestyle and sports are welcome, which prevent the occurrence of blood stasis in the small pelvis. However, the load should be moderate, and being in the fresh air, you should dress according to the weather so as not to chill the internal organs. For the same reason, girls and boys are not recommended to wear "transparent" underwear during severe frosts.
Your kidneys will thank you if you sleep on your stomach more often. If you are not in this positionIf you get enough sleep, then try to lie down like this for about 20 minutes from 17 to 19 hours, since it is at this time that the kidneys work most actively.
What to avoid
To minimize the risk of kidney disease, doctors advise limiting or avoiding coffee, carbonated drinks and alcohol altogether. They destroy cells and are a factor that provokes dehydration.
Drinking too much mineral water can be bad for your kidney he alth if it's not in your treatment plan for another condition. The consequence of such a disease can be the formation of stones, which will subsequently be extremely difficult to get rid of.
We have already found out which function of the kidneys in the body is the most important. If a person consumes s alted food for a long time, then sodium accumulates in the blood, and the amount of such an important element as potassium, on the contrary, decreases. Both have a negative impact on the state of the body, primarily on the cardiovascular system and on the appearance of a person.
It should be remembered that a safe amount of s alt for a person per day is no more than 5 g. However, many people consume almost 2 times more.
A flavor additive such as glutamate negatively affects the condition of the kidneys. It is found in canned vegetables and smoked foods.
Products that irritate the urinary tract include vinegar. In addition, it can provoke the formation of slags.
Duringlong winter months, many are drawn to vegetables and fruits, even if they are greenhouse. Doctors recommend abandoning their use or including them in your diet extremely rarely. The fact is that they contain chemicals and pesticides that have an extremely negative effect on the condition of the kidneys.
Now you know what functions the kidneys perform in the body. We hope that the information provided in this article has helped you get to know your body better, and you will learn from it that will help you avoid problems in the future.
