Kidney Filtering
Students filter different substances through a plastic window screen, different sized hardware cloth and poultry netting. Their models show how the thickness of a filter in the kidney is imperative in determining what is filtered out and what stays in the blood stream.
Students learn the role of the kidney as a filtering system for bloodCopyright 2008 Madhero88, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Kidney_copy.png
Engineers design many different filters that help people live healthier lives. Engineers design filters to clean water, and they also design special filters called dialysis machines. This equipment, essentially a special filter, cleans blood for people whose kidneys are not working correctly.
After this activity and accompanying worksheet, students should be able to:
- Explain the role of the kidney as a filtering system for blood.
- Describe the by-products of the excretory system.
- Model the filtering function of a kidney on a larger scale.
- Give examples of filters designed by engineers, such as dialysis machines.