Kidneys

Did you know your kidneys filter about 50 gallons of blood every single day? Kidneys might seem small, but these two bean-shaped organs, located near the middle of your back, work hard to keep your body balanced every moment of the day.

Each kidney contains up to a million nephrons, which are tiny filtering units surrounded by many blood vessels. As blood flows through these capillaries, waste like urea, uric acid, extra salt, and excess water are pulled out.

This filtered waste collects in the tubules of each nephron, gradually forming urine. This is one function of the kidney.

It then travels through narrow tubes called ureters to your urinary bladder, where it's stored until it's released from the body.

But filtering waste is just one of the kidneys' many important functions. They also manage fluid levels, help regulate blood pressure, and maintain the right balance of salt and water.

Since we constantly lose water through sweat, breathing, and urination, the kidneys adjust the amount of urine they make to help keep the body in balance day and night.