What is a Kidney?
The kidney is a small bean-shaped organ in our body. Every person has two kidneys, one on the left side and one on the right side of the back, just below the ribs.
What does Kidney do?
- Kidneys work like a filter.
- They clean our blood by removing waste and extra water.
- This waste and water leave the body as urine (pee).
- They also keep the balance of salts and minerals in our blood.
- Kidneys help control blood pressure and keep the body healthy.
Why are kidneys important?
- Without kidneys, waste would stay in our body and make us sick.
- They keep our blood clean and body balanced.
Concept:
This model simulates how kidneys filter blood (normal water) and produce urine (yellow-colored water), using:
- Syringes as pumps
- Plastic bottles as kidneys
- Cardboard base and pipes to show flow of water
- A clear demo of input-output system like real kidney filtration
Materials Needed:
- 2 plastic bottles (representing kidneys)
- 2 large syringes (for pumping)
- Transparent pipes (IV tube or fish tank pipe)
- Cardboard sheet (base + background)
- Color paper (red, blue, yellow)
- Yellow food color (to show urine)
- Small plastic/glass cup (urinary bladder)
- Glue gun or Fevicol
- Scissors/cutter
- Paints (red, blue, white)
- Black marker
How to Make: Video Step-by-Step
1. Base and Background Setup
- Take a large cardboard sheet as your model base.
- Use another piece vertically behind it to create a background showing the human body outline with painted organs.
2. Make the Kidneys
- Cut two plastic bottles in half.
- Paint them red or wrap with red paper to represent kidneys.
- Attach them to the background vertically using hot glue.
3. Attach Syringes as Pumps
- Connect a syringe to each kidney bottle using pipe (at the top).
- These represent blood vessels entering the kidney.
- Connect another pipe from bottom of each bottle going into a transparent container (urinary bladder).
- Use yellow-colored water to show urine flowing when syringe is pressed.
4. Simulate Blood In & Urine Out
- Fill the syringes with clear water (blood).
- As you press the syringe, it enters the plastic bottle (kidney), and yellow water (urine) comes out through lower pipe into a small transparent plastic cup (urinary bladder).
- You can pre-mix yellow food color inside the bottle to simulate this.
5. Bladder & Urethra
- Use a small cup as the urinary bladder and fix a pipe from its base to simulate urethra.
6. Decoration & Labeling
- Use color paper and markers to label:
- Renal artery (red)
- Renal vein (blue)
- Ureter (yellow)
- Kidneys, Bladder, Urethra
- You can also make nephron diagram on the side using paper and explain filtration.
How It Works (Explain This in Exhibition)
- Syringe pumps clear water into kidney bottle (like blood entering kidney).
- Inside the kidney (bottle), water turns yellow to show waste (pre-mixed).
- Yellow water travels through pipe into bladder (cup).
- Demonstrates how kidneys:
- Filter waste
- Maintain water balance
- Remove excess salts