The kidneys have the important job of
reabsorbing water into the bloodstream
filtering the blood to remove wastes
breaking down food mechanically
producing bile to help digest fats
correcting the balance of salts and other substances in the blood
The kidneys have the important job of filtering the blood to remove wastes.
The correct answer is: filtering the blood to remove wastes.
To arrive at the answer, we need to understand the function of the kidneys. Here's how we can do that:
1. Start by identifying the role of each option provided.
- Reabsorbing water into the bloodstream: This is a function of the kidneys. They help regulate water balance in the body by reabsorbing water from the urine back into the bloodstream when necessary.
- Filtering the blood to remove wastes: This is another function of the kidneys. They filter the blood by removing waste products, toxins, and excess substances (such as water, salts, urea, and minerals) to form urine.
- Breaking down food mechanically: This is not a function of the kidneys. Food is broken down mechanically by chewing in the mouth and then further broken down chemically by enzymes during digestion in the digestive system.
- Producing bile to help digest fats: This is a function of the liver, not the kidneys. The liver produces bile, which is stored in the gallbladder. Bile aids in the digestion and absorption of fats.
2. Compare the functions to the given options.
After comparing the functions to the options, we find that "filtering the blood to remove wastes" is the only function specifically associated with the kidneys.
Therefore, the correct answer is that the important job of the kidneys is filtering the blood to remove wastes.