- Ketone
Bodies
- Chemicals that the body makes when there is
not enough insulin in the blood and it must break down fat for its
energy. Ketone bodies can poison and even kill body cells. When
the body does not have the help of insulin, the ketones build up
in the blood and then "spill" over into the urine so
that the body can get rid of them. The body can also rid itself of
one type of ketone, called acetone, through the lungs. This gives
the breath a fruity odor. Ketones that build up in the body for a
long time lead to serious illness and coma. See also: Diabetic
ketoacidosis.
- Kidney
Disease
- Any one of several chronic conditions that
are caused by damage to the cells of the kidney. People who have
had diabetes for a long time may have kidney damage. Also called
nephropathy.
- Kidneys
- Two organs in the lower back that clean waste
and poisons from the blood. The kidneys are shaped like two large
beans, and they act as the body's filter. They also control the
level of some chemicals in the blood such as hydrogen, sodium,
potassium, and phosphate.
- Kupffer's
Cells (KOOP-furz selz)
- Cells that line the liver. These cells remove
waste such as bacteria from the blood.
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