Kidney functions of animals
Functions of kidney
The important function of the kidneys is to rid the body of waste materials that are either ingested or produced by metabolism. To control the volume and composition of the body fluids. A balance between the intake and output is maintained in large part by the kidneys. This regulatory function of kidneys maintains the stable environment of cells necessary for them to perform various activities.
Kidneys perform most of their important function by filtering the plasma and removing the substances from the filtrate at variable rates, depending on the needs of the body. Ultimately, they clear unwanted substances from the filtrate by excreting them in the urine while returning substances that are needed back to the blood.
Other functions of Kidney
- Excretion of metabolic waste products & foreign chemicals, drugs & hormone metabolites -urea, creatinine, uric acid, end products of hemoglobin breakdown and metabolites of various hormones.
- Regulation of water and electrolyte balance.
- Regulation of arterial pressure.
- Regulation of acid-base balance.
- Regulation of RBC production.
- Regulation of 1,25 Dihydroxy Vit D3 production.
- Gluconeogenesis: Kidneys synthesize glucose from amino acids and other precursors during prolonged fasting.
- Formation of urine.
- Concentration of urine and reabsorption of essential electrolytes.
Anatomy of kidney
The two kidneys are located on the posterior wall of the abdomen, outside the peritoneal cavity. The functional unit of the kidney is the nephron. Nephron numbers vary considerably among species and within species and their numbers are relatively constant. The kidney consists of two regions such as outer cortex and an inner region, the medulla.
