Renal corpuscle

Definition

The renal corpuscle is the initial filtering component of a nephron in the kidney. It consists of the glomerulus and Bowman's capsule, which together filter blood to form urine.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The renal corpuscle is located in the cortex of the kidney.
2. Blood enters the glomerulus through the afferent arteriole and exits through the efferent arteriole.
3. Bowman's capsule surrounds the glomerulus and captures filtrate that passes through glomerular capillaries.
4. The filtration barrier in the renal corpuscle prevents large molecules like proteins from passing into Bowman's capsule.
5. Podocytes are specialized cells in Bowman's capsule that play a critical role in filtration by forming slit diaphragms.

Review Questions

• What structures make up the renal corpuscle?
• Which part of the kidney contains renal corpuscles?
• How do podocytes contribute to the function of the renal corpuscle?

Related terms

Nephron: A functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and forming urine.

Glomerulus: A network of capillaries within the renal corpuscle that performs blood filtration.

Bowman’s Capsule: A cup-like sac at the beginning of a nephron that encloses the glomerulus and receives filtrate.