We Have Two Kidneys But Only Need One Kidney To Live
Organ donation is a gift and it should come from the heart, not by emotional coercion. Kidney transplants are the most common organ transplant that happens. Kidney transplants paved the way for surgical teams to develop successful transplantation of other organs including heart, lung, pancreas and liver.
People who do not have good kidneys are very sick. Kidneys do many things that are important to stay healthy. Normal kidneys perform several important tasks that keep the body in good health:
Clean your blood and remove waste products through the formation of urine
Balance fluids in the body by controlling water and salt concentrations
Maintain the balance of the bodys chemicals (potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphorus)
Control blood pressure
Supply elements used to make red blood cells, which carry oxygen in the blood
Help sustain strong bones.
One kidney, functioning at 20% capacity, can do all of the above. The kidneys produce urine that drains through narrow tubes (called ureters) into the bladder. Every day the kidneys filter 160 quarts of fluid from the...