Your kidneys clean your blood all day long. Special cells with foot-like branches wrap around tiny blood tubes and filter out waste, which leaves your body as pee.
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You have two kidneys, each about the size of a fist, in your back just above your waist.
Inside are tiny balls of blood tubes. Wrapped around them are filter cells called podocytes. Each one has long branches with little feet that hug the blood tubes.
Scroll up to the 3D model and press Show the feet.
The feet from neighboring podocytes fit together like fingers in a zipper. The tiny slits between them work like a very fine strainer.
The water and waste then flow on through tiny tubes and become pee (urine).
Press Filter the blood to watch water and waste squeeze out.
Each kidney has about a million tiny filters. Together they clean all your blood many times every day!
Drinking enough water helps your kidneys do their job. If your pee is pale yellow, you are probably drinking enough.
By Operation Ouch. A fun video for kids.
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