Hyderabad, 1st March 2020: Kidneys are often deprived of the respect they deserve. But, they are truly impressive and knowing them better helps to keep them healthy. Nephrology is the branch of medicine concerned with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions related to the kidneys. Doctors who specialize in kidney disease are called nephrologists. Kidneys are two bean-shaped organs about five-inches long, three-inches wide and one-inch thick located in your back on each side of the spine. They are situated above the waist, with the left kidney a little higher and a little larger. Inside the kidneys are nephrons (filters), which are tiny units where the filtering of excess fluids and dissolved particles occurs. There are between 9 to 11 lakhs nephrons in each kidney. Most think kidneys are just responsible for producing urine, but there’s a lot more to it. In addition to removing extra fluid and water from your body, kidneys: Filter the blood Balance fluid content in the body Produce the enzyme renin that helps control blood pressure Produce the hormone erythropoietin to help make red blood cells Activate vitamin D to maintain healthy bones Adjust levels of minerals and other chemicals to keep the body working properly The basic function of kidneys begins when you eat and drink. After the body takes the nutrients it needs, the extras become wastes. Some of the waste winds up in the blood and needs to be filtered out. The blood gets circulated through the body with every beat of the heart. It’s the job of the kidneys — with their millions of nephrons — to filter and clean out the blood and remove the extra fluids. The extra fluid and waste becomes urine and travels from the kidneys down the ureters to the bladder until eliminated through the urethra. Removing waste is not the only job of the kidneys. In addition to filtering, the kidneys monitor the levels of chemicals, salts and acids in the blood. Inside the nephrons are sensors that keep track of sodium, phosphorus, calcium and potassium. When levels are high, the kidneys signal to remove…