munuaiskerästen

Munuaiskerästen, also known as glomeruli, are microscopic functional units within the kidney responsible for filtering blood. Each kidney contains approximately one million glomeruli. They are essentially a network of tiny blood vessels, capillaries, enclosed within a cup-shaped structure called Bowman's capsule.

The primary function of the glomerulus is to initiate the process of urine formation. Blood enters the glomerulus under high pressure, forcing water, small solutes like salts, glucose, and urea to pass from the blood into Bowman's capsule. This filtered fluid is called glomerular filtrate. Larger components of the blood, such as red blood cells, white blood cells, and large proteins, are retained in the capillaries and do not pass into the filtrate.

The filtration process is highly selective, ensuring that essential substances remain in the bloodstream while waste products are removed. Following filtration, the glomerular filtrate then travels through the renal tubules, where further reabsorption of necessary substances and secretion of additional waste products occur, ultimately forming urine. Damage to the munuaiskerästen can significantly impair kidney function, leading to conditions like glomerulonephritis.