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| Renal Arteries | Blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the kidneys. They branch directly from the aorta (the main artery coming off the heart) on either side and extend to each kidney. |
| Ureter | The ureters are tubes made of smooth muscle fibers that propel urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder. |
| Glomerlus | A cluster of nerve endings, spores, or small blood vessels, in particular a cluster of capillaries around the end of a kidney tubule, where waste products are filtered from the blood |
| Dialysis | The process of removing excess water, solutes, and toxins from the blood in people whose kidneys can no longer perform these functions naturally. This is referred to as renal replacement therapy. |
| Nephron | A nephron is the basic unit of structure in the kidney. A nephron is used separate to water, ions and small molecules from the blood, filter out wastes and toxins, and return needed molecules to the blood. The nephron functions through ultrafiltration. |
| Urology | The medical specialty which addresses diseases of kidney (and urinary tract) anatomy. |
| Nephrology | The medical specialty which addresses diseases of kidney function. |
| Kidney Biopsy | Also known as a renal biopsy, the medical procedure in which a small piece of kidney is removed from the body for examination, usually under a microscope. |
| Renal Veins | The renal veins are veins that drain the kidney. They carry the blood filtered by the kidney. |
| Creatinine | A waste product from the breakdown of muscles and is measured using a blood test. |
| Estimated Glomerular Filtration Rate | A blood test result based on creatinine and the patient's age that indicates the how well the kidneys function. The result is like a percentage of the patient's kidney function compared to normal. |
| Albumin | A protein made by the liver that keeps fluid from leaking out of blood vessels, nourishes tissues, and transports hormones, vitamins, drugs, and substances like calcium throughout the body. |
| Albuminuria | A condition which occurs when a protein called albumin, which is normally in blood, is found in urine. When the nephrons (kidney filters) are damaged and the kidneys aren’t working as they should, they let this protein leak into the urine. |
| Acute Kidney Injury | A condtion, previously known as Acute Renal Failure, which is a sudden loss of kidney function. The situation is often reversible. |
| Albumin:Creatinine Ratio (ACR) | This is a urine test (into a small sample pot) best done in the morning. It helps check if the nephrons (kidney filters) are damaged and leaking albumin, which is a type of protein normally in the blood. |
| Partial Thromboplastin Time (PTT) | A blood test that looks at how long it takes for blood to clot. |
| Prothrombin Time (PT) | A blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion (plasma) of your blood to clot. |
