Kidneys are bilateral organs required to maintain homeostasis in the body through the regulation of fluid composition and the excretion of metabolic waste products. The initial steps in organ development are characterized by cellular interactions which regulate both the position and number of kidneys formed. Once established, further development is driven by orchestrated interactions between progenitor cell populations which serve to establish both nephrons—the functional unit of the organ which filters the blood—and the complex ramified collecting duct system which transports urine to the bladder. The delicate balance involved in these processes is reflected in the emerging family of genetic or environmental factors which, when perturbed, give rise to defects in organ development or function later in life.

中文翻译：

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正常和异常肾脏发育的细胞和分子决定因素。

肾脏是通过调节体液成分和排泄代谢废物而维持体内稳态所需的双侧器官。器官发育的初始步骤以细胞相互作用为特征，细胞相互作用既调节肾脏的位置，又调节肾脏的数量。一旦建立，进一步的发展将由祖细胞群体之间精心策划的相互作用来驱动，这些相互作用可用来建立肾单位（过滤血液的器官功能单位）和将尿液输送到膀胱的复杂的分支收集导管系统。这些过程涉及的微妙平衡反映在新兴的遗传或环境因素家族中，一旦受到干扰，就会导致器官发育或生命后期功能的缺陷。