Renal function
Renal Function
Renal function refers to the state of operation of the kidney or kidneys. The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs located on either side of the spine, just below the rib cage. They are responsible for filtering waste products, excess water, and other impurities from the blood. These waste products are stored in the bladder and later expelled from the body as urine.
Pronunciation: /rɪˈnæl ˈfʌŋkʃən/
Etymology: The term "renal" comes from the Latin word "renes," meaning kidneys. "Function" comes from the Latin word "functio," meaning performance, execution.
Related Terms
- Glomerular filtration rate (GFR): This is a test used to check how well the kidneys are working. It estimates how much blood passes through the glomeruli each minute. Glomeruli are the tiny filters in the kidneys that filter waste from the blood.
- Creatinine clearance: This is another test used to measure kidney function. It involves testing a sample of urine for the waste product creatinine.
- Renal failure: This is a medical condition in which the kidneys fail to adequately filter waste products from the blood.
- Nephrology: This is the branch of medicine that deals with the study of the kidneys and its diseases.
- Urology: This is the branch of medicine that focuses on surgical and medical diseases of the male and female urinary-tract system and the male reproductive organs.
- Dialysis: This is a treatment that filters and purifies the blood using a machine. It is used when the kidneys are not able to do this naturally.
- Renal artery: These are blood vessels that carry oxygenated blood to the kidneys from the heart.
- Renal vein: These are veins that drain oxygenated blood from the kidneys.
- Renin: This is an enzyme that controls aldosterone production. It is secreted by the kidneys and is an important component of the Renin-Angiotensin-Aldosterone System (RAAS), which regulates blood pressure.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Renal function
- Wikipedia's article - Renal function
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