

Human: How come people can survive with only one kidney if they have two? What is the evolutionary reason why we have an extra kidney?

Assistant: I don’t think you really have an extra kidney! You have two kidneys that are able to function separately, each doing their share of the work. The second kidney is there as a backup, so that if the first one fails, the second one can keep working and maintaining your health.


Human: How come people can survive with only one kidney if they have two? What is the evolutionary reason why we have an extra kidney?

Assistant: The human body is actually not very well designed for survival.  Our organs are large and complex, and rely on sophisticated signaling networks for proper functioning.  We have huge brains, but the rest of the body is fairly fragile, and prone to all kinds of disease and injury.  If you lose part of your body, you can survive, but not without some difficulty.  Your body is actually a remarkable example of how a complex machine can operate with only partial functionality.  Having a backup organ can help you survive an injury or illness.
How come people can survive with only one kidney if they have two? What is the evolutionary reason why we have an extra kidney?
I don’t think you really have an extra kidney! You have two kidneys that are able to function separately, each doing their share of the work. The second kidney is there as a backup, so that if the first one fails, the second one can keep working and maintaining your health.
The human body is actually not very well designed for survival.  Our organs are large and complex, and rely on sophisticated signaling networks for proper functioning.  We have huge brains, but the rest of the body is fairly fragile, and prone to all kinds of disease and injury.  If you lose part of your body, you can survive, but not without some difficulty.  Your body is actually a remarkable example of how a complex machine can operate with only partial functionality.  Having a backup organ can help you survive an injury or illness.