Nephrology
Nephrology is a branch of internal medicine dealing with the study of the function and diseases of the kidney.
Humans have two kidneys: one on each side of the spine (see bilateralsymmetry). Generally, at least one kidney must have some level of function to ensure that the body can remove certain waste substances from the bloodstream and maintain fluid and acid-base balance. Renal failure is a term used to describe the cessation of kidney function.
The word nephrology is derived from the Greek word nephros, which means kidney, and the suffix -ology, or study of.