Question

The process of purifying blood by means of an artificial kidney is called ………………………………
(Fill in the blank with appropriate word.)

Answer 1

Hint: The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs. They filter the blood and remove waste. On average, healthy kidneys filter about half a cup of blood every minute. Urine flows through the ureters to reach the urinary bladder.

Complete answer:
Hemodialysis is a process in which the purification of blood happens. This is done in people whose kidneys are not working properly. Hemodialysis performs extracorporeal removal of waste products like creatinine and urea, as well as free water from the blood. Hemodialysis acts as an artificial kidney when a person has kidney failure. The basis of hemodialysis is the ultrafiltration of blood through a semipermeable membrane.

Blood runs through one side of the semi-permeable membrane and the dialysis fluid through the other side. Small solutes and fluids flow through the layer from a region of higher concentration to a region of its lower concentration. There is a lower concentration of solutes in the dialysis fluid. The selectively permeable membrane blocks bigger components like proteins and RBCs. This process mimics the natural filtration done by the kidneys.

Dialysis should not be considered as a permanent solution. In case of acute kidney failure, dialysis should be performed until the kidneys heal themselves. In the case of chronic kidney failure, there is a very low chance of the kidneys repairing themselves. In that case, dialysis should be continued until a kidney transplant can be done.

So, the correct answer is hemodialysis.

Note: The two main types of dialysis are: hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis. In peritoneal dialysis, a catheter is implanted in the stomach of the patient, through which dialysis fluid is pumped. This fluid absorbs the waste materials from the body.