glomeruluskapszula

The glomeruluskapszula, also known as Bowman's capsule, is a cup-like sac at the beginning of the nephron in the kidney. It surrounds the glomerulus, a network of capillaries where filtration of blood takes place. The glomeruluskapszula is composed of two layers: an inner visceral layer and an outer parietal layer. The visceral layer is closely applied to the glomerular capillaries and is made up of specialized cells called podocytes. These cells have foot processes that interdigitate, leaving filtration slits between them. The parietal layer is made of simple squamous epithelium.

The primary function of the glomeruluskapszula is to collect the filtrate that is forced out of the glomerular capillaries during glomerular filtration. This filtrate, which contains water, small solutes like salts, glucose, and urea, but not large proteins or blood cells, then passes into the renal tubule for further processing. The pressure gradient across the filtration membrane, driven by blood pressure in the glomerulus and osmotic pressure, is crucial for this process. The large surface area of the glomerulus and the permeable nature of its capillaries, combined with the filtration slits of the podocytes in the glomeruluskapszula, facilitate efficient filtration. The collected filtrate is then conveyed into the proximal convoluted tubule, marking the beginning of urine formation.