Monday 13 April 2015

Kidney Stones - Are They Rocks, Minerals?

The title says it all...
In some ways, yes. Kidney stones are actually salts and minerals that crystallize in the kidneys.
If small enough (usually less than 3mm), they can pass through the kidney then through the ureters and then on through the bladder and out of the body. If they are too large they will get stuck and hence serious pain will occur.



Like some of the minerals a study in Earth Systems, they do have a similar type of formation. They contain lots of calcium like calcite, and they also crystallize out of a liquid like the precipitates we see in chemical sedimentary rocks. 

Though they contain calcium, they don't usually bond with carbonate or sulfate ions. The most common type of ion they bond with is called the oxalate ion.

Crystallization of kidney stones depends mostly on the amount of acid and the amount of dissolved salts in the urinary tract. Having lots of fluid in the urinary tract would enable salts to stay to dissolved and pass through the body; more salts would crystallize out when a person is dehydrated than when they are hydrated.

So, drinking lots of fluids would guard against kidney stones. They are not good to have.
Some can be even as big as golf balls and are extremely painful.

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