American Urological Association - Kidney: Renal Corpuscle (Glomerulus)
Kidney: Renal Corpuscle (Glomerulus)
- The nephron is composed of renal corpuscle and renal tubule and is the functional unit of the kidney.
- The renal corpuscle consists of Bowman's capsule and glomerular capillaries, responsible for plasma filtration (image A) & (image B).
- Network of capillaries that invaginate into Bowman's capsule.
- Lined by endothelial cells and supported by a basement membrane and covered by the visceral layer of Bowman's capsule.
- Bowman's capsule
- Forms the distended end of the renal tubule.
- Contains a visceral layer of epithelial cells (podocytes) that is reflected at the vascular stalk of the glomerulus to become continuous with the parietal layer.
- Bowman's space
- Urinary space; cavity between the parietal and visceral layers.
- Functions as structural support for the capillary loop and contains specialized intraglomerular pericytes (mesangial cells).