Which organ is primarily responsible for drug elimination in the body?

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The kidneys play a vital role in the elimination of drugs and their metabolites from the body, primarily through the processes of filtration and secretion. They filter the blood, allowing for the excretion of waste products and substances that the body does not need. Through urine formation, the kidneys transport and excrete these substances outside the body.

Although other organs, like the liver and lungs, contribute to the metabolism and elimination of certain drugs, the kidneys are the main organs that actively excrete a wide range of drugs and their metabolites. The liver primarily metabolizes drugs, converting them into forms that are easier for the kidneys to eliminate, but it does not directly eliminate them itself. The heart does not play a role in drug elimination, and while the lungs can eliminate volatile substances through respiration, they are not the primary organ for drug clearance.

Thus, the kidneys are accurately recognized for their primary responsibility in the drug elimination process.

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