Glomerulus

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The glomerulus is a cluster of tiny blood vessels in the kidney that filters blood. The glomerulus's main function is to filter plasma to produce glomerular filtrate. This filtrate then passes down the nephron tubule to form urine.

The glomerulus filters:

Water, Small solutes, Waste, Essential ions, Glucose, Amino acids, Smaller proteins.

The glomerulus's thin walls allow smaller molecules, wastes, and fluid to pass into the tubule. Larger molecules, such as proteins and blood cells, stay in the blood vessel.

The glomerulus is made up of:

• Endothelium
• Glomerular basement membrane
• Podocytes

Many diseases affect kidney function by attacking the glomeruli. If the glomeruli in the kidneys can't function properly, it can lead to kidney failure