Kidney dialysis

• What does a dialysis machine do?

  Takes over the role of failing kidneys and filter the blood
• Why does dialysis has to be done regularly?

  To keep the concentrations of dissolved substances (e.g. glucose, ions) in the blood at normal levels, and to remove waste substances
• How does a dialysis machine work?

  • Person's blood flows alongside a partially permeable membrane, surrounded by dialysis fluid
• How does a dialysis machine work?

  • Partially permeable membrane allows things like ions and waste substances through, but not big molecules like protein
  • Dialysis fluid has the same concentration of dissolved ions and glucose as healthy blood
  • Means that useful dissolved ions and glucose won't be lost from the blood during dialysis
  • Only waste substances and excess ions and water diffuse across the membrane