Your Kidneys – What They Do

YOUR KIDNEYS – WHAT THEY DO

Your kidneys are bean-shaped organs located near the middle of your back, just below the rib cage. The main job of the kidneys is to remove wastes from the blood and return the cleaned blood back to the body.

Every day your two kidneys filter about 200 liters of blood . The waste and extra water become urine, which flows to your bladder. Your bladder stores urine until you go to the bathroom. For your body to work properly, it must contain just the right amount of water. One of the important jobs of the kidneys is to remove excess water from the body or to retain water when the body needs more.

Normal kidneys also make important chemical messengers called hormones. These hormones circulate in the bloodstream and regulate some body functions such as blood pressure, the making of red blood cells, and the uptake of calcium from the intestine.