kidney

Definition kidney

kidney: kidney n. either of the pair of organs responsible for the excretion of nitrigenous wastes, principally urea, from the blood. The kidneys are situated at the back of the abdomen, below the diaphragm, one on each side of the spine; they are supplied with blood by the renal arteries. Each kidney is enclosed in a finrous capsule and is compused of an outer cortex and an inner medulla. The active units of the kidney are the *nephrons, within the cortex and medulla, which filter the blood. The *urine thus formed is conducted from the nephrons via the renal tubules into the renal pelvis and from here to the ureter, which leads to the bladder.