Abstract
The kidneys perform three major functions. As regulatory organs, the kidneys precisely control the composition and volume of the body fluids and maintain acid-base balance as well as blood pressure by varying the excretion of water and solutes. As excretory organs, the kidneys remove various nitrogenous metabolic end products in the urine. In general, the kidneys filter plasma in the glomerulus to form a protein-free ultrafiltrate. This ultrafiltrate passes through the various tubular segments where reabsorption of essential constituents and secretion of unwanted products occur. As endocrine organs, the kidneys produce important hormones, such as renin, erythropoietin, and active vitamin D3 (calcitriol). In addition, the kidneys participate in the degradation of various endogenous and exogenous compounds. In order to understand these functions, it is essential to examine the gross and microscopic structure of the kidneys.
The editors acknowledge Kishore Kuppasani’s contribution to this chapter in Nutrition in Kidney Disease, Second Edition, Nutrition and Health, DOI https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-62,703-685-6_1, © Springer Science+Business Media New York 2014
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Reddi, A.S. (2020). Kidney Function in Health and Disease. In: Burrowes, J., Kovesdy, C., Byham-Gray, L. (eds) Nutrition in Kidney Disease. Nutrition and Health. Humana, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44858-5_3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-44858-5_3
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