Kidney

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Definition of Kidney

From the elephant glossary Section: elephant anatomy Section: anatomy

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The kidneys are two reddish-brown bean-shaped organs found in vertebrates. They are located on the left and right in the retroperitoneal space, and they receive blood from the paired renal arteries; blood exits into the paired renal veins. Each kidney is attached to a ureter, a tube that carries excreted urine to the bladder.

The kidney participates in the control of the volume of various body fluids, fluid osmolality, acid–base balance, various electrolyte concentrations, and removal of toxins. Filtration occurs in the glomerulus: one-fifth of the blood volume that enters the kidneys is filtered. Examples of substances reabsorbed are solute-free water, sodium, bicarbonate, glucose, and amino acids. Examples of substances secreted are hydrogen, ammonium, potassium and uric acid. The nephron is the structural and functional unit of the kidney. The kidneys also carry out functions independent of the nephrons. For example, they convert a precursor of vitamin D to its active form, calcitriol; and synthesize the hormones erythropoietin and renin.

Anatomically, an elephants kidneys appear to be able to concentrate urine only moderately. Their kidneys tend to resemble those of the manatee but not of the dugong.

Kidney is mentioned on 6 other pagesSepsis, Nephritis, Pyelonephritis, Kidney, Pyelogram, Nephrology,

Kidney is mentioned on 1 person pagesY Eban,

Kidney is mentioned on 12 elephant record pagesAngayarkanni, Christy, Kay, Konti, Kung Rattana, Maxine, Romio (Harris), Sian, Songkran, Thep, Tillie, Toni,

Reference list Koehl, Dan, (2025). Kidney. Elephant Encyclopedia, available online retrieved 20 September 2021 at https://www.elephant.se/index.php?id=261. (archived at the Wayback machine)

Sources used for this article is among others:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kidney
Kidney of elephants, N S Maluf, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7486021/

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Categories glossary | anatomy |

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