Describe the process of hemodialysis.
Haemodialysis: Blood from the artery of a uremia patient is taken, cooled to 0°C, and mixed with an anti-coagulant like heparin. The unit contains a coiled cellophane tube surrounded by a fluid (dialyzing fluid) having the same composition as that of plasma except for the nitrogenous wastes. The porous cellophane membrane of the tube allows the passage of molecules based on the concentration gradient. As nitrogenous wastes are absent in the dialysing fluid, these substances freely move out, thereby clearing the blood. The cleared blood is pumped back to the body through a vein after adding anti-heparin to it. This method is a boon for thousands of uremic patients all over the world.
