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What is Cell Dialysis?

In medicine, dialysis is either natural or artificial, but in both cases it relates to kidney function. Dialysis treatment is not designed to filter waste out of individual cells; rather, it acts as a mechanical replacement when the kidneys fail to do their job. An individual cell removes waste through other means, such as specialized organelles. .

  1. Kidney Waste Removal

    • Metabolic waste and surplus water are filtered through the kidneys in healthy individuals. From the kidneys, the waste moves into the ureter, finally exiting the body through the bladder as urine. This process is regulated by a concentration gradient, or the balance of salt to water. Liquid transporting waste will diffuse across that concentration gradient, following sodium into the kidneys, where it is processed and extracted.

    Cell Waste Removal

    • The metabolic waste of an individual cell is removed in various ways, depending on the type of waste. Lysosomes are organelles inside the cell that break down waste using enzymes, similar to digestive enzymes in the human digestive tract. The waste can be secreted outside the cell through the cellular membrane. Vacuoles play the important role of transferring waste and excess water to the membrane for extraction; the little helpers also serve as individual storage units and assist in digestion.

    Dialysis Treatment

    • When the kidneys fail to remove waste from the body, a domino effect backs up the entire system. Most patients with any kidney failure are obliged to submit to dialysis treatment on a regular basis to prevent fatal backups. A patient will receive one of two types of dialysis: hemodialysis mixes blood with a salt solution and sends it back to the body, thereby encouraging diffusion in the kidneys; peritoneal dialysis injects fluid into the abdominal cavity to inspire diffusion.

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