Kidney Function

Once inside the glomerular corpuscle (and inside the capsule of Bowman), the afferent arteriole cells lose their yuxtaglomerulares, divided into small capillaries, forming the rete mirabile of the renal corpuscle. These capillaries then join to form the efferent arteriole which has only muscle cells along the way.

During his tour in the interior of the capsule of Bowman, the capillaries are covered by the so-called glomerular filtration barrier is composed of:

• The inner layer of endothelium
• A thick basement membrane
• An outer layer of special cells called podocitos

Endothelial cells of the renal glomerulus are perfectly suited to perform the filtering function. The cytoplasm is limited by a membrane with numerous fenestrated pores about 70 nm, some of which are covered by a thin diaphragm (seudofenestraciones.

The second component of the filtration barrier is the basement membrane, much thicker than other basement membranes as it is between 310 and 350 nm. This layer, in turn, consists of three other layers, the most important film a dense, partially composed of collagen. It is believed that this layer acts as a barrier to molecules. Another layer consists of a substance called podocalixina, a polianiónico, consisting essentially of acid siálico. This layer acts as a barrier against cationic products. The basement membrane does not fully cover the circumference of the capillary wall, but only 3 / 4, being deficient in the place where the capillary joins mesangio

Finally, upholstery podocitos the outer surface of the glomerular capillaries. These cells receive this name because the main body of the cell is located above the outer surface of the glomerular capillary sending cytoplasmic processes that contact the basement membrane (these are called by some authors pedicels).

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