Functions of the left and right kidney

A person has two kidneys in his body, and the functions of the two kidneys are different. Although a person can survive without one kidney, his life function will be seriously reduced. When there is something wrong with the kidney, not only will the urinary system be affected to a certain extent, but the patient's sexual life will also be disturbed, and he will often feel back pain. So what is the function of the human kidney?

Both kidneys have the same function

Function

(1) Produce urine and maintain water balance: When blood flows through the nephron, the water in the plasma and the crystal substances dissolved in it are filtered into the various segments of the renal tubules under normal filtration pressure. The renal tubular epithelial cells secrete unconcentrated urine from time to time into the tubular lumen. When there is too much or too little water in the human body, the kidneys regulate the amount of urine to maintain the water balance in the body.

(2) Eliminate metabolic products and toxic substances from the human body: During metabolism, the human body produces some substances that are not needed or even harmful to the human body, such as urea, uric acid, creatinine and other oxygen-containing substances. The kidneys can excrete these wastes from the body, thereby maintaining normal physiological activities.

(3) Maintaining the body’s acid-base balance: The kidneys can excrete acidic substances produced during metabolism through urine, while reabsorbing bicarbonate and controlling the ratio of acidic and alkaline substances excreted to maintain the acid-base balance.

(4) Secrete or synthesize some substances to regulate the physiological functions of the human body: for example, secrete renin and prostaglandins related to regulating blood pressure; secrete erythropoietin, a decrease in which can cause anemia; and secrete 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, which is related to the fragility and strength of bones.