The liver is the largest internal organ of the human body. The word “liver” comes from an old English word meaning “vegetable pusher”, demonstrating that the liver was once thought to be a critical part of food digestion.
The kidneys are often nicknamed “the filters.” Each kidney is about the size and shape of your clenched fist, weighs between 12 – 16 ounces (340-454 grams) but can hold nearly two quarts (1.9 liters) of blood, urine, digestive juices, and other fluids! A healthy adult has two kidneys that are located just below the rib cage on either side of each 10th rib, beneath your stomach muscles. They are bean-shaped structures with veins branching off of them like the spokes of a wheel. The kidneys are each connected to the urinary bladder by tubes called ureters.
The kidneys are important because they help maintain the body’s internal environment. They remove excess fluid, water, salts, urea, amino acids, glucose, and other substances from the blood. Once this is done, they convert these products into the urine, which will leave the body as waste. The kidneys also produce renin, a hormone that regulates blood pressure and blood vessel contraction.
