The Chinese word for Kidney is Shen (Shen 1). The Kidney is one of the five Zang Fu. The Kidney system is responsible for storing the Jing, regulating water metabolism (forming and excreting urine), and assisting the Lung in receiving Qi from the air. As the Kidney stores the Jing, it is responsible for aging in general. The hair, ears, and bones are all under the influence of the Kidney, and these are all parts of the body that change significantly as people age. The Kidney’s Fu organ “partner” is the Urinary Bladder. It is considered a “water” organ in Five Elements theory.
Humans possess two located posteriorly in the abdominal cavity. There are three main functions of the (a) to produce urine for excretion, (b) to produce a hormone called renin, (c) to produce a hormone called erythropoietin.
Either of two organs situated in the lower part of the back on either side of the spine behind the abdomen, whose function is to maintain the usual concentrations of the main constituents of blood, passing the waste matter into the urine.
Either of two bean-shaped excretory organs that filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them and water in urine and help to regulate the water, electrolyte, and pH balance of the body. The kidneys are located in the dorsal part of the abdominal cavity, one on each side of the vertebral column. Each kidney, about 11 centimeters (4.5 inches) long, 6 centimeters (2.5 inches) wide and 2.5 centimeters (1 inch) thick, consists of an outer cortex and inner medulla and contains one million or more filtering units, called nephrons. Blood passes through tufts of capillaries (glomeruli) in the nephrons, where it is filtered; the filtrate then passes through renal tubules, where some substances (e.g., sugar, some salts) are selectively reabsorbed, into collecting ducts. The final product-known as urine—passes out of the kidney through tubes known as ureters and is carried to the bladder. The function of the kidney is controlled by hormones, especially the antidiuretic hormone produced by the pituitary gland. The kidney is subject to inflammation, infection, the formation of stones (urinary calculi), and other disorders.
One of two large, bean-shaped organs located in the flank region of the back that are responsible for filtering waste products out of the blood and for formation of urine.
The major organ of the urinary tract, in which blood is filtered and waste products and excess fluid are excreted as urine. The two kidneys are located in the back of the abdominal cavity on either side of the spine, at about waist level. The right kidney is positioned under the liver; the left kidney, which sits slightly higher, is near the spleen.
Either of the pair of organs responsible for the excretion of wastes, principally urea, from the blood. The kidneys are situated at the back of the abdomen, below the diaphragm, one on each side of the spine; they are supplied with blood by the renal arteries. Each kidney is enclosed in a fibrous capsule and is composed of an outer cortex and an inner medulla. The active units of the kidney are the nephrons, within the cortex and medulla, which filter the blood under pressure and then reabsorb water and selected substances back into the blood. The urine thus formed is conducted from the nephrons via the renal tubules into the renal pelvis and from here to the ureter, which leads to the bladder.
These are a pair of glands located in the upper abdomen close to the spine and embedded in fat and loose connective tissue.
One of a pair of purple-brown organs situated at the back (retroperitoneal area) of the abdominal cavity; each is lateral to the spinal column. The kidneys form urine from blood plasma. They are the major regulators of the water, electrolyte, and acid-base content of the blood and, indirectly, all body fluids.
Organ that filters water and wastes from the blood, excretes products as urine, and regulates the concentration of certain substances in the blood.
One of a pair of organs in the abdomen that removes waste from the blood (as urine), produces erythropoietin (a substance that stimulates red blood cell production), and plays a role in blood pressure regulation.
One of two organs, located on either side of the spine, that filter wastes from the blood.
Each of the two organs responsible for blood filtration, waste product excretion, and removal of excess water in the form of urine. Positioned at the rear of the abdominal cavity, the kidneys are situated on both sides of the spine.
Each kidney is enclosed within a fibrous capsule and comprises an external layer known as the cortex and an internal layer referred to as the medulla. Within the cortex, there are specialized capillaries termed glomeruli, which, in conjunction with a series of tubules, constitute nephrons – the fundamental filtering components of the kidney. The waste product, urine, resulting from this filtration, moves through the tubules towards the medulla, where it gathers in a region termed the renal pelvis. From there, it proceeds through tubes called ureters to reach the bladder.
Nephrons carry out blood filtration through pressure, followed by the targeted reabsorption of water and specific other substances back into the bloodstream. Urine is composed of the materials that remain after substances are not reabsorbed.
The kidneys additionally oversee the body’s fluid equilibrium. This involves eliminating surplus water when present in excess and conserving it when the body experiences water loss (such as through sweating). Furthermore, the kidneys maintain the body’s acid-base equilibrium by modulating urine acidity. Lastly, they generate hormones that play a role in regulating red blood cell production and blood pressure.
Each of the two kidney-shaped glandular organs serves to filter certain waste products and water from the bloodstream, which are then passed to the bladder as urine through a tube known as the ureter. Additionally, they recover valuable substances from the urine and reintroduce them into the body. Each kidney measures approximately four inches in length, two inches in width, and one inch in thickness, with a weight ranging from four to six ounces. Positioned in the lumbar region on the back wall of the abdomen, the kidneys are nestled within fat tissue, one on each side of the spinal column. They are not precisely aligned; the right kidney sits slightly lower due to the presence of the liver. While essential for life, if one kidney becomes diseased or injured, the other has the capacity to enlarge to twice its size and perform the functions of both. In fact, a person can sustain themselves with only one-third of one kidney.