Students witness the powerful gift of life shared between two persons as they see Live From… Kidney Transplant ™.

You have two kidneys, approximately the size of a fist, located on either side of your spine and at the lowest level of the rib cage.  The critical regulation of the body’s salt, potassium and acid content is performed by the kidneys. Damage to this vital organ can disrupt the delicate balance of body chemicals. Students at Liberty Science Center watch as surgeons operate in real time and two-way videoconferencing enables an informative dialog between students at the Center and the surgical team at Saint Barnabas Medical Center. Students leave Liberty Science Center with in-depth knowledge of what causes kidney disease, factors that can reduce risk, the importance of organ donation and career choices in kidney research and medicine.

 

The Urinary System

The Urinary system includes two kidneys, two ureters, a bladder, and a urethra. The nutrients from our food is converted to energy by the body,  the waste that is produced is removed by both the digestive system and the kidneys. The kidneys are made up of nephrons that aid in the filtering of urine as it passes through to the ureters.

The ureter is a narrow muscular tube that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder through peristalsis, or muscular contractions. The bladder is a hollow organ located in the lower abdomen held in place by ligaments. The urethra allows urine to pass outside the body.

 

The Kidneys

The kidneys contain millions of functioning units called nephrons which consist of filtering units (tiny blood vessels) called a glomerulus attached to a tubule. The kidneys perform a life-sustaining job of filtering and returning to the bloodstream about 200 quarts of fluid every 24 hours. Additionally, the kidneys help to control your red blood cell (RBC) production, regulate blood pressure (Bp), and help keep bones strong and healthy.

Serious issues can arise due to the kidney’s inability to filter.  Diseases and acute injuries can cause the kidneys to have a reduction in function.   The toxins that can build up can cause additional problems for the body. Doctors can conduct a variety of test to help identify the problem.

Dialysis can help to filter the blood but it can not produce the hormones that a healthy kidney produces. A kidney transplant is an operation that places a healthy kidney in your body.

 

 

 

As of June 15th , 2011 there are 111,593 people waiting for a life-saving transplant, 4,715 are here in New Jersey.

Try an online game!

Choose the correct donor for your first Kidney Transplant. Enter the Operating Room and become a surgeon!

 

Related Articles:

NY Times: Doctors Hone Message on Kidney Disease

By Jane E. Brody

Published: August 22, 2011

Twenty-six million Americans have chronic kidney disease, and avoiding complications depends heavily on how well patients care for themselves.