Page 715 - Atlas of Histology with Functional Correlations

FIGURE 18.8 ■ Ultrastructure of the apical cell surface in the proximal
convoluted tubule of the kidney. Courtesy of Dr. Rex A. Hess, Professor
Emeritus, Comparative Biosciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University
of Illinois, Urbana, IL. ×8,000.

FIGURE 18.9 | Kidney: Scanning Electron

Micrograph of Podocytes

This scanning electron micrograph illustrates the unique appearance of the
visceral epithelium of the glomerular capsule and the podocytes, which surround
all the capillaries in the kidney glomeruli. The flattened cell body of the
podocyte (6) extends thicker primary processes (1, 3) that surround the

capillary walls. The primary processes (1, 3) give rise to the smaller pedicles (2,
7), which interdigitate with pedicles from other podocytes around the capillaries.
Between the pedicles (2, 6) are the tiny filtration slits (5). Also visible are

remnants of proteinaceous debris (4) that became lodged in the filtration slits
(5) during blood filtration. Surrounding the podocytes in the renal corpuscle is

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