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How much blood do the kidneys receive each minute?
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renal system
Diagram showing the location of the kidneys in the abdominal cavity and their attachment to major arteries and veins.
In a normal adult at rest, the renal arteries deliver approximately 1.2 liters of blood to the kidneys each minute. This volume represents about one-quarter of the heart's total cardiac output.1
Because of this high rate of perfusion, the entire volume of blood in an adult human body is processed by the kidneys roughly every four to five minutes. While this flow is subject to autoregulation to maintain stability, it can be influenced by factors such as physical exertion, emotional stress, or changes in systemic blood pressure.12