RESUMO
You might not guess it, but the kidneys are as vital to human life as is the heart. They filter toxins out of our blood. If these toxins were allowed to accumulate even for a very short time, they would kill us quite quickly. Even the normal minerals we expect to find in a healthy body can be deadly in the wrong amounts. Potassium, for example, can stop the heart from beating if it is allowed to accumulate. The kidneys are, therefore, essential to our very existance. The heart pumps the blood; the kidneys keep it clean. Of all the organs, the kidneys are placed in a most protected location to prevent damage from trauma of any sort. They lie on the large muscles of the back and are cushioned from behind by these layers of very developed tissues. Above, and in front, the lower ribs guard them like fingers of a hand. And in case that were not enough protection, a well developed pad of fat envelopes the organs like bubble wrap around a fragile package. Most people have a matching pair of bean-shaped kidneys - but not everyone does. Some individuals are born with only one kidney; some lose a kidney from trauma, surgery of diseased states, or destruction from kidney stones which are not properly treated early enough. All these individuals can still live a perfectly normal life, have children and do almost everything except take part in contact sports for obvious safety reasons, to avoid damage to their precious, sole remaining kidney.
