Parent & Patient Information System 06/09/2015 Page39 / 51 Although the two kidneys work together to perform many vital functions, people can live a normal, healthy life with just one kidney. In fact, some people are born with just one of these bean-shaped organs. If one kidney is removed, the remaining one will enlarge within a few months to take over the role of filtering blood on its own. Every minute, about 1 liter of blood goes to the kidneys. The kidneys are located just under the ribcage in the back, one on each side. The right kidney is located below the liver, so it's a little lower than the left one. Each has an outer layer called the cortex, which contains the filtering units. The center part of the kidney, the medulla has 10 to 15 fan-shaped structures called pyramids. These drain urine into cup-shaped tubes called calyxes. A layer of fat surrounds the kidneys to cushion and help hold them in place. Blood is transported to each kidney through the renal artery, which enters the kidney at the hilus, the indentation in the kidney that gives it its bean shape. As it enters the cortex, the artery branches to envelope the nephrons — 1 million tiny filtering units in each kidney that remove the harmful substances from the blood.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NjM1NTk=