Kidney Failure

Kidney Failure

If kidneys don't work properly waste substances build up in the blood and you can't control levels of ions and water in your body - death

People with kidney failure are being kept alive by dialysis machines - machines do job of kidneys, or they can have a transplant

Dialysis

• Has to be done regularly to keep concentrations normal and remove waste
• Person's blood flows alongside a selectively permeable barrier surrounded by dialysis fluid
• Permeable to things like ions and waste substances but not big molecules like proteins
• …