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Kidney Diseases

We have two kidneys, each about the size of your fist. Each kidney contains approximately 1 million microscopic filtering and processing units called nephrons. Each nephron contains a tiny filter called a "glomerulus" (glo-MER-yoo-lus). Glomeruli are microscopic balls of capillaries, or blood vessels, which filter the blood that passes through them. The kidneys clean and process the blood; working together, the 2 million nephrons filter and process 3-4 liters of blood approximately every 5 minutes, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Understanding Kidney Diseases

  • Basic Information about the Kidneys
  • Kidney Failure – Understanding End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD)
  • Kidney Pain
  • Kidney Stones
  • LifeGiving: Transplant Stories (Multi-media partnership)
  • Signs and Symptoms of Kidney Disease
  • Tests Used to Diagnose Kidney Disease
  • Treatment & Management of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
  • Hemodialysis
  • Kidney Failure - Tutorial
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    • Additional Information

  • Symptoms and Tests
  • Treatment
  • Complications
  • Research Studies

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