The Kidney
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that sit below the ribs towards the middle of the back. The kidneys are vital for good health. Their main job is to clean the blood by taking out excess water and wastes, and turning them into urine. Narrow tubes called ureters carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Like a balloon, the bladder's elastic walls stretch to store urine. When the urine is emptied out through the urethra to outside the body, the walls flatten together.
Each kidney gets rid of up to one and a half litres of urine a day. The kidneys make sure there is a stable balance of salts and other substances in the blood and also produce hormones that help build strong bones and help form red blood cells. When a kidney is not working properly waste products like salts can build up inside the body. These can cause high blood pressure and symptoms of kidney failure.
