Name: ___________________________________ Class: __________________
Text A - Anatomy and Function of the Kidneys
Your kidneys are two organs shaped like beans, about the size of your fist. They sit just below your rib
cage, one on each side of your back.
Healthy kidneys clean about 120 millilitres (ml) of blood every minute. They remove waste and extra
water, which turn into urine. The urine travels from your kidneys to your bladder through two thin
tubes called ureters. Your bladder stores the urine until you go to the bathroom. Together, your
kidneys, ureters, and bladder make up your urinary system.
Why are your kidneys important?
Your kidneys help keep your body healthy by removing waste and extra fluid. They also get rid of acid
made by your cells and keep the right balance of water, salts, and minerals like sodium, calcium, and
potassium in your blood.
If your kidneys didn’t do this, your nerves, muscles, and other parts of your body wouldn’t work
properly.
Your kidneys also make hormones that:
● Help control your blood pressure
● Help make red blood cells
● Keep your bones strong and healthy
Source:
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),
https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/kidneys-how-they-work
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You have been given a sheet of paper with information about the kidneys. The kidneys are
organs which are important for a range of reasons.
You must read the text and use it and knowledge from your wider MYP studies to answer the
questions below to:
● interpret the information and
● make scientifically supported judgements.
1. State the volume of blood cleaned by the kidneys every minute.
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The text contains information about the other organs connected to the kidneys.
2. Write a list of organs that are connected to the kidneys.
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The text details a number of functions which the kidney performs.
3. List the kidney’s functions.
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One of the functions of the kidneys is to keep the minerals in our blood balanced.
4. Apply your knowledge of your body and information in the text to suggest how this
function of the kidney keeps our bones strong.
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The kidneys are very important organs. Sometimes, kidneys can fail which causes a person to
become unwell.
5. Interpret the information in the text and apply it to suggest what symptoms a person
suffering kidney failure could be suffering from.
Useful definition:
Symptoms - A symptom is a sign that something might be wrong with your body. It’s how you
feel or what happens when you are sick, like having a fever, a cough, or a sore stomach.
Symptoms help doctors figure out what illness you might have.
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