Urological Health Chronic Kidney Disease The Structure and Function of the Kidneys By Veeraish Chauhan, MD facebook twitter linkedin Veeraish Chauhan, MD, FACP, FASN, is a board-certified nephrologist who treats patients with kidney diseases and related conditions. Learn about our editorial process Veeraish Chauhan, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Kashif J. Piracha, MD on August 24, 2020 facebook twitter linkedin Kashif J. Piracha, MD, is a board-certified physician with over 14 years of experience treating patients in acute care hospitals and rehabilitation facilities. Learn about our Medical Review Board Kashif J. Piracha, MD Updated on December 13, 2020 Print It is hard to understand the signs and symptoms of kidney disease unless we appreciate the kidneys’ role in our body. This article explains what the kidneys do and how they accomplish their function. PIXOLOGICSTUDIO / SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Getty Images Clarifying the Terms: Renal? Nephrology? Let’s get the grammar straightened out at the outset. You might have heard the terms “renal,” “nephrological,” or others when you hear physicians talking about kidneys. The term “renal” is used interchangeably to refer to anything to do with the kidneys. The word comes from the Latin word for the kidneys, renes. Similarly, “nephros” is the Greek term for the kidneys, while “logos” refers to study. Hence, nephrology is the subspecialty of medicine that deals with the management of kidney diseases, and nephrologists are specialist physicians who deal with the medical management of kidney disease, kidney transplantation, and hypertension. What Are the Kidneys? A pair of bean-shaped organs, the kidneys sit in the flanks, closer to the spine than to your belly. They are located just underneath your diaphragm and rib cage. They normally range in size from 8 to 14 centimeters (or 3 to 5.5 inches). Each kidney weighs between 120 grams (about a quarter-pound) to 170 grams (0.4 lbs). These numbers vary based on a person’s size, and abnormal-sized kidneys could be a sign of kidney disease. About 380 gallons (1,440 liters) of blood flow through the kidneys every day. What the Kidneys Do Your kidneys are silent workhorses, toiling 24/7 to clean your blood of impurities and toxins that build up from the body's metabolism. This waste fluid, which we know better as urine, is then excreted. However, the kidneys’ role extends to well beyond just “making urine.” They are your body’s very own laboratories that “test” your blood continuously to make sure every electrolyte’s concentration is within the specific range that is necessary for your body to function. As an example, let’s consider an electrolyte in your blood, like potassium. Potassium is an electrolyte whose concentration needs to be within a tight range for your heart to generate its normal electric impulses. These impulses cause the heart to beat at a set rhythm or pulse. Both high or low potassium can interfere with this electricity generation and cause your heart to go into an abnormal rhythm. This abnormal rhythm, called arrhythmia, is life-threatening and could cause a person to drop dead in a matter of seconds. However, this does not happen in normal circumstances, because the moment the kidneys detect a rise in the blood’s potassium concentration, they dump the extra potassium into urine, thus keeping the potassium level constant in the blood. If it weren't for your kidneys, a typical meal that you eat could turn out to be a life-endangering experience owing to its potassium content. Another important function that the kidneys have is maintaining the blood’s water concentration. The kidneys accomplish this by conserving or excreting the amount of water in your blood. You might have noticed that if you spend a day, for example, playing golf under a hot sun without drinking enough water, your urine will tend to look dark and concentrated. Conversely, if it’s cold outside, the amount of water lost in sweat is greatly reduced, and your urine looks clear. The volume of urine goes up as well. These changes in your urine’s concentration and volume are regulated by your kidneys. The kidneys’ ability to make these changes is one of the reasons that life was able to adapt from the oceans to land, eons ago. Here are some other functions the kidneys serve: They produce a hormone that is essential to make red blood cells, called “erythropoietin” They make sure your bones stay healthy by producing a form of vitamin D They dump excess acid, which is generated from normal metabolism, out from your system Very importantly, they control your blood pressure As you might imagine, all of these functions can go haywire in kidney disease, hence leading to the usual signs and symptoms that one sees in patients with kidney dysfunction. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Guyton and Hall Textbook of Medical Physiology.