YOU ARE LEARNING:
Treating Kidney Failure
Treating Kidney Failure
Kidney dialysis and organ donations are the main treatment for kidney failure.
What are the three main roles of the kidney? Pick all the options you think are correct.
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Name the waste product in the blood the the kidneys remove. It was produced from the breakdown of amino acids.
The kidneys produce urine. What is the fluid part of urine that the kidneys control the loss of?
If a patient has kidney failure, they will die unless they receive medical treatment. Do you know they can be treated? Pick all the options you think are correct.
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A dialysis machine can filter the blood with dialysis fluid and a membrane.
It removes waste and keeps the other substances at the correct concentrations. Dialysis must be carried out regularly.
How is the person connected to the dialysis machine?
A) The kidney nephron is connected to the machine. B) Tubes connect the blood stream to the machine.
The blood does not mix with the dialysis fluid.
Instead the blood runs close to the fluid, separated by a barrier, but molecules can move through just like a real kidney membrane.
How do you think the dialysis machine actually works? How do you think it removes urea, excess water and excess ions and salt from the blood?
People with kidney failure can also have a kidney transplant, with kidneys from a donor. However, there is a risk that the patient's immune system will reject the new kidney. Why do you think that might happen?
What happens when an organ is rejected?
Because of the risk of patients' antibodies attacking and rejecting the transplanted organ, transplant patients have to take medicines to reduce their immune system.