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Kidney

Healthy kidneys function to filter extra water and wastes from the blood and remove them from the body as urine. The kidneys also help control blood pressure, keep body chemicals in balance, keep bones strong, tell your body to make red blood cells and help children grow normally.

The kidneys are located in the back of the abdomen on each side of the spine. The kidney on the right is underneath the liver, and the kidney on the left is underneath the diaphragm. Nephrology is the medical field that specializes in the study of the kidneys and kidney diseases.

Animation

• How Kidneys Work

Articles and portals

• Your Kidneys and How They Work – National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse

Journals

• Article: Prevalence of chronic kidney disease and decreased kidney function in the adult US population: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Organizations

• National Kidney Foundation
• American Association of Kidney Patients