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The kidneys are bean-shaped excretory organs in vertebrates. Part of the urinary system, the kidneys filter wastes (especially urea) from the blood and excrete them, along with water, as urine. The medical field that studies the kidneys and diseases affecting the kidney is called nephrology.
1.1 Location
In humans the kidneys are the two organs that are located in the posterior part of the abdomen, on either side of the spine just below the liverThe liver is an organ in vertebrates including humans. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body including detoxification, glycogen storage and plasma protein synthesis. It also produces bile which is important for dige and spleenThe spleen is a ductless, vertebrate gland that is not necessary for life but is closely associated with the circulatory system, where it functions in the destruction of old red blood cells and removal of other debris from the bloodstream, and also in hol on the right and left sides of the body respectively. SuperiorSuperior has various meanings: A superior is a person who has the authority to command another, as in "a superior officer". See: Superior (function) In a hierarchical structure of any kind, a superior is higher in the hierarchy and thus closer to the apex to each kidney is an adrenal glandIn mammals, the adrenal glands are the triangle-shaped endocrine glands that sit atop the kidneys. They are chiefly responsible for regulating the stress response through the synthesis of corticosteroids and catecholamines, including cortisol and adrenali (also called the suprarenal gland).
The kidneys are retroperitoneal, which means they lie behind the peritoneumIn higher vertebrates, the peritoneum is the membrane that forms the lining of the abdominal cavity it covers most of the intra-abdominal organs. The corresponding tissues in the pleural and pericardial cavities of the thorax are called the pleura and the, the lining of the abdominal cavityThe abdominal cavity is the cavity of the human body (and other animal bodies) that holds the bulk of the viscera and which is located below (or posterior to) the thoracic cavity. Organs of the abdominal cavity include the liver, gallbladder, spleen, panc. They are approximately at the vertebraarticulations for the ribs The vertebrae (singular: vertebra) are those bones which compose the spine in vertebrates. There are 33 vertebrae in humans, including the five that are fused to form the sacrum and the four coccygeal bones. The 24 remaining arel level T12 to L3, and the right kidney usually lies slightly lower than the left, due to the size of the liverThe liver is an organ in vertebrates including humans. It plays a major role in metabolism and has a number of functions in the body including detoxification, glycogen storage and plasma protein synthesis. It also produces bile which is important for dige.
The upper parts of the kidneys are protected somewhat by the eleventh and twelfth ribIn anatomy, the ribs (la. costae are those bones which form the rib cage these surround the thorax ( chest) of vertebrates. The function of the ribs is to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thoracic cavity. The human skeleton has 2s, and each whole kidney is surrounded by two layers of fat (the perirenal fat and the pararenal fat) which help to cushion it.
1.2 Structural details
In a normal human adult, each kidney is about 11 cm long and about 5 cm thick, weighing 150 grams. The kidneys are "bean-shaped" organs, and have a concave side facing inwards (medially). On this medial aspect of each kidney is an opening, called the hilus, which admits the renal artery, the renal vein, nerves, and the ureter.
