The Anatomy of the Kidney and the Effect of Kidney stones

For my STEAM project I chose objective 56 which is know the anatomy of kidneys and describe the general functions of the cortex, medulla, and pelvis. What I researched was how kidney stones are formed and to have a better understanding of where they go in the body. I used clay art to make a diagram of the kidney and the stones placement that is labeled with the anatomy of both. 

Our kidneys are complex fist sized organs that handle the body’s fluid and chemical levels. They are vital in maintaining normal body functions. Healthy kidneys will clean waste from the blood and remove it through urination as well as controlling the levels of sodium, potassium, and calcium in the blood. The renal system affects all parts of the body by keeping fluids in balance as well as other organ systems normal functioning. The kidneys, ureters, and bladder are a part of our urinary tract which makes, transports, and stores urine in the body. 

Our kidneys are found on each side of the spine and behind the liver, stomach, pancreas, and intestines. The right kidney lies slightly lower than the left because of the displacement of the liver. The left kidney is slightly longer than the right and lies closer to the midline. There is a heavy cushion of fat that keeps the kidneys in position. The kidneys are well protected from trauma due to the placement in the body. The ureters are tubes that measure 27 to 30 centimeters long and are 1 to 5 millimeters in diameter. They extend from the kidneys to the bladder and their function is to move urine form the kidney pelvis to the bladder through contractions. The bladder is located behind the symphysis pubis and this is where urine is stored before exiting the body. There are 3 three openings in the bladder, two are where urine enters the bladder from the ureters and one where urine exits the bladder into the urethra. The urethra is a tube that leads from the bladder to the outside of the body and is 4 cm long in females and 21 cm long in males. The urinary meatus opens to allow urine to be expelled from the urethra.  

Kidney stones are formed in the kidney and some move from the kidney into the ureter. Kidney stones have been a problem all the way back to 4000 BC and is the most common disease of the urinary tract. They have been associated with an increased risk of chronic kidney diseases, end stage renal failure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and hypertension. It is suggested that kidney stones could be a systemic disorder that is linked to metabolic syndrome. 

Symptoms of a kidney stone are a sharp cramping pain in the back and side which often moves to the lower abdomen or groin. This will start suddenly and come in waves as the body is trying to get rid of the stone. Signs of a kidney stone include an intense feeling to urinate, urinating more often, a painful feeling when urinating, urine that is dark or red due to blood, nausea, vomiting, and for men pain at the tip of the penis. The location of the kidney stone is also dependent on the symptoms. The initial formation of the stone will not cause any symptoms but depending on if the kidney stone is in the kidney, ureter, or urinary bladder will change the symptoms someone is experiencing. 

References

References

Alelign, T., & Petros, B. (2018). Kidney Stone Disease: An Update on Current Concepts. Advances in Urology, 2018(3068365), 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/3068365

Wallace, M. A. (1998). Anatomy and Physiology of the Kidney. AORN Journal, 68(5), 799–820. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0001-2092(06)62377-6

(2022). In Entrustmd.com. https://www.entrustmd.com/urology-treatment/kidney-stones

The image of me working on my clay art diagram of the kidney and the stone placement.