Kidneys & Affects of Various LiquidsKidneys & Affects of Various LiquidsIdentify the ProblemThe kidney is an extraordinary organ. Without its processes, human life would be virtually impossible. It is a very well known fact that when individuals consume large amounts of liquid, they eliminate much of the liquid through urine. On the other hand, when individuals are severely dehydrated very little urine is formed. This certainly illustrates that control mechanisms in the human being can regulate the amount of urine that is formed.
When tap water is ingested, there is a relatively rapid elimination of the water in the urine. However, when salt is ingested, there is a considerable delay in the excretion of water because salt is ingested. The ingestion of coffee is very quickly followed by rapid elimination of urine as a result of the effect of caffeine on the kidney. This effect would be observed with any beverage containing caffeine.
The measurement of pH and color is an indication of whether urine is dilute or concentrated. If urine is concentrated, then the pH would be low and the color would be dark yellow. A dilute urine, however, would have a high pH and be almost colorless.
Under normal conditions, the pH or urine is slightly acidic, because metabolic reactions in the cells generate acid materials. The normal pH of urine is about 6: although, under certain conditions, the pH could be as low as 4.5 or as high as 8. The color of urine is due to the presence of bile pigments which are end products of hemoglobin metabolism. If these pigments are concentrated in urine, then urine would have a darker color. The purpose of this experiment is to show the kidneys ability to alter the output of urine in response to the ingestion of different liquids such as tap water, Gatorade or any other sport drink, and coffee.
Collect/Research InformationThe makeup of the urinary tract includes: the kidneys, two ureters, and the urethra, a tube leading from the bladder to the outside of the body.The kidneys make up a filter system for the blood, reabsorbing almost 99% of the fluid into the blood, and sending only two to four pints of waste (urine) into the bladder for storage until it can be disposed of. The kidneys allow the blood to keep glucose, salts and minerals after cleansing it of poisonous materials which will be passed out in the urinary tract.
Urine is produced in the kidneys and goes down through two ten to twelve inch long tubes called ureters, which connect the kidneys to the bladder.The ureters are about one-fourth inch in diameter and their muscular walls contract to make waves of movement to force the urine into the bladder. The bladder is expandable and stores the urine until it can be conveniently disposed of. It also closes openings into the ureters so that urine cannot flow back into the kidneys. The tube through which the urine flows out of the body is called the urethra.
Kidneys are also largely responsible for maintaining the water balance of the body and the pH of the blood. Kidneys play important roles in other bodily functions, such as releasing the hormone producing protein that stimulates increased development of red blood cells in the bone marrow, and helping to control blood pressure.
Kidneys are paired, reddish-brown, bean-shaped structures. They are about eleven centimeters long. Kidneys are located on each side of spine, just above the waist. The kidneys are sophisticated trash collectors. Every day, your kidneys process about 200 quarts of blood to sift out about two quarts of waste products and extra water.
When something goes wrong inside the kidney your body may be in risk of a many very serious problems. Today more than 20 million Americans, one in nine adults, have chronic kidney disease; more than 20 million others are at increased risk. Kidney disease is one of the costliest illnesses in the U.S. today. More than 70,000 Americans die each year because of kidney disease. At the moment more than 50,000 patients are waiting for kidney transplants, but only about 14,000 will receive transplants this year because of a shortage of suitable organ donors. Diabetes is the leading cause of chronic kidney failure, accounting for 44 percent of the new cases each year and 35 percent of all cases in the U.S. Uncontrolled or poorly controlled high blood pressure is the second leading cause of chronic kidney failure in the U.S., accounting for about 23 percent of U.S. cases.
Sugar, which contains many of the same chemicals in cigarettes, is the major culprit in kidney disease.
The use of a lot of sugar at some point or another is associated with kidney disease, although the mechanism by which it occurs remains unknown. In a study carried out by the Food and Drug Administration in the early 1970s, only about 7.6 percent of patients with kidney disease experienced any symptoms at all, while 4 percent had signs that showed a significant improvement as compared to placebo.
The problem with sugar
Many patients are prone to kidney problems with little progress in the first year. But if these symptoms develop, they may not cause major complications. The problem appears to have been exacerbated by diet, a common feature of diets in many countries with the highest rates of high blood pressure.
One of the more common reasons for kidney problems in children appears to be excessive amounts of a large amount of sugar; according to a 2001 study by the U.S. government, up to 35 percent of children reported to be in anemia by the time they grow up have anemia in childhood. A 1997 paper by three other research and consulting agencies, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, looked primarily at children at various ages to determine the prevalence of kidney disease. Children who had more than one parent who ate a “high fat family” of less than 8 ounces of diet and who had some other dietary modification were at higher incidence of kidney problems, and children who had more than three sources of calories or more were at higher risk.
One more recent study, by the National Blood Test Monitoring Institute for Evaluation and Treatment, has found that about 40 percent of kidney disease cases in children between the ages of four and 15 appear to be caused by either a lack of exercise, inadequate dietary intake or exposure to drugs that have known effects on the kidneys.
Fruits and vegetables
One of the most common fruits and vegetables, fruits and vegetables tend to have many of the same chemical compounds that have led to kidney disease. Several types and constituents of fruits contain more than one or more of these chemicals, with some containing no known or known cause but other chemicals. According to a 1997 study by the U.S. government, over 11 million fruits and vegetables contain more than one of these contaminants, with three known causes of kidney disease or no known cause. By this time in recent decades, a number of manufacturers were starting to introduce new foods containing a wide range of compounds with low or unknown effects. Some of these include phytotocin, also called anthocin and isomerized phenylalanine, methylglyoxal and metafrulfenate.
Soy
The sweet and salty flavor of refined grains and milk with the high cost of carbohydrates is a common source of kidney disease. Several studies have compared the incidence of kidney disease in healthy people with low or no sugar intake to the effects of sugar and refined carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates (4) that fructose intake is associated in about 17 percent to 30 percent of those with some amount of diabetes; fructose-rich diets or fast foods may have a significant impact on blood sugar levels.
Sweetened beverages
More than 20 medications
Hemodialysis (dialysis) is a procedure that cleans and filters your blood. It helps your body get rid of harmful wastes and extra salt and fluids; it also controls blood pressure and helps your body keep the proper balance of chemicals. Dialysis uses a dialyzer, or special filter, to clean your blood. The dialyzer connects