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> Kidney
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The kidneys are two organs that filter metabolic products out of the blood and excretes them in the form of
urine. The kidneys are situated to the left and right of the spine at the back abdominal wall. They are covered in a peritoneal fold of fatty
tissue. Urine reaches the bladder through the ureter. The filtration of the blood takes place through thousands of small bulges of the blood
vessels, the so-called glomeruli. Each glomerulus is encapsulated by
endothelium, Bowman’s capsule, named after its discoverer. The filtrate from the blood
(primary urine) is then concentrated in a U-shaped cannula, Henle’s
loop, and reaches the renal pelvis through the collection tubules.The urine is created in the glomeruli and reaches the renal pelvis through the system of collection
tubules. The glomeruli act as microfilters. They are permeable for water,
salts, and waste products from blood. This filtrate (primary urine) is passed through the Bowman’s capsules into a system of
tubuli, where further toxic products and salts are added to the filtrate and water and salt are extracted from it. Urine is what is left
over. A person produces about 1.4 litres of urine per day, but this amount varies according to intake of
fluids, sweating, diarrhoea, etc.
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Ultrasound examination of the kidney in cross section, the highlighted areas show a calculus of the renal calyx and a calculus of the renal pelvis, with the characteristic disappearance of sound behind the calculi |
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Ultrasound examination of the kidney with expanded renal pelvis exposed so-called hydronephrosis). |
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