Renal glomerulus

Renal Glomerulus

The Renal Glomerulus is a network of tiny blood vessels, or capillaries, located at the beginning of a nephron in the kidney. The glomerulus is the site where the first step of urine formation takes place, a process known as filtration.

Structure

The renal glomerulus is a tuft of capillaries composed of endothelial cells, which are highly specialized and unique to the kidney. These capillaries are surrounded by podocytes, specialized cells that wrap around the capillaries. The space between the capillaries and the podocytes is known as the urinary space, or Bowman's space.

Function

The primary function of the renal glomerulus is to filter blood. Blood enters the glomerulus through the afferent arteriole and leaves through the efferent arteriole. The pressure created by the difference in diameter between these two arterioles forces water, ions, and small molecules from the blood into the urinary space. This filtrate then moves into the renal tubule, where it is further processed to form urine.

Clinical significance

Damage to the renal glomerulus can lead to a number of kidney diseases, such as glomerulonephritis and glomerulosclerosis. These conditions can cause proteinuria, hematuria, and reduced glomerular filtration rate, leading to kidney failure if not treated.

See also

• Kidney
• Nephron
• Glomerulonephritis
• Glomerulosclerosis

References

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