Did You Know?
Humans usually have two kidneys. They are located just behind the abdomen, on each side of the spine and beneath the lowest ribs. Each kidney is roughly the size of a clenched, human fist.
Vital filters
Approximately 5 liters of blood circulate in our bodies. Our kidneys filter and clean this volume of blood 40 times every day. That’s a total of 200 liters – a quantity that would fill about 200 bottles... or 20 buckets!
The kidneys remove wastes and excess water from our blood in the form or urine.
Master chemists
Our kidneys are vital and sophisticated organs in many other ways:
They help balance the levels of chemical substances in our bodies such as sodium, phosphorus and potassium.
They also produce important hormones that stimulate the bone marrow to make red blood cells; regulate our blood pressure; help keep our bones strong.
Find out more about your kidneys on the Kidney Foundation of Canada Website (http://www.kidney.ca) |
