Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Renal Corpuscle

Renal Corpuscle

The glomerulus and Bowman's capsule are two essential components of the nephron, which is the functional unit of the kidney. These microscopic structures play a critical role in the process of blood filtration to produce urine.
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous capillaries...

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells

Tissue Renewal without Stem Cells

After cellular or tissue damage, the resident stem cells present in the human body can locally repair and regenerate the damaged tissue or organ. However, even though some tissues do not have stem cells, they can repair and regenerate with the help of pre-existing cells. For example, beta cells of the pancreas and hepatocytes of the liver can divide to renew and regenerate the tissue. Here, both cell division and cell death are well regulated by homeostasis.
However, failure of such a system...

Kidney Structure

Kidney Structure

The kidneys are two large bean-shaped organs located in the upper abdomen. They filter the blood several times a day to remove toxins and rebalance water and electrolytes of the circulatory system via the renal veins. The kidneys receive blood directly from the heart via the renal arteries. These arteries enter the kidney at the hilum, the concave surface of the bean, where they branch and divide into smaller vessels and capillaries.

Filtration and Urine Formation

Filtration and Urine Formation

The function of the kidneys is to filter, reabsorb, secrete, and excrete. Every day the kidneys filter nearly 180 liters of blood, initially removing water and solutes but ultimately returning nearly all filtrates into circulation with the help of osmoregulatory hormones. This process removes wastes and toxins but is also crucial to maintain water and electrolyte levels. Most of these functions are performed by the tiny but numerous nephrons contained within the kidneys.

Internal Anatomy of the Kidney

Internal Anatomy of the Kidney

The kidneys are essential organs in the human body, performing a myriad of tasks that maintain homeostasis and overall health.
Anatomical Position and Dimensions
The kidneys are retroperitoneal organs positioned against the posterior abdominal wall on either side of the spine, roughly between the twelfth thoracic and third lumbar vertebrae. Each kidney is typically 10-12 cm long, 5-6 cm wide, and 3-4 cm thick, weighing about 150 grams.
Renal Cortex
The outermost region of the kidney is the...

External Anatomy of the Kidney

External Anatomy of the Kidney

The kidneys are a pair of bean-shaped organs in the human body that play a critical role in maintaining overall health. They filter out waste products from the blood, regulate blood pressure, maintain electrolyte balance, and stimulate the production of red blood cells.
The kidneys are located in the retroperitoneal space on either side of the vertebral column, protected posteriorly by the 11th and 12th ribs. The right kidney sits slightly lower than the left owing to the presence of the liver...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

In situ mutational screening and CRISPR interference define <i>apterous</i> cis-regulatory inputs during compartment boundary formation.

eLife·2026

Same author

Intestinal obstruction impairs feeding and promotes sleep in <i>Drosophila melanogaster</i>.

Science advances·2026

Same author

In vivo regulation of an endogenously tagged protein by a light-regulated kinase.

G3 (Bethesda, Md.)·2025

Same author

Initiation of lumen formation from junctions via differential actomyosin contractility regulated by dynamic recruitment of Rasip1.

Nature communications·2024

Same author

Oscillatory contractile forces refine endothelial cell-cell interactions for continuous lumen formation governed by Heg1/Ccm1.

Angiogenesis·2024

Same author

Functionalized Protein Binders in Developmental Biology.

Annual review of cell and developmental biology·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Analysis of Nephron Composition and Function in the Adult Zebrafish Kidney

Analysis of Nephron Composition and Function in the Adult Zebrafish Kidney

Published on: August 9, 2014

Self-renewal in the fly kidney.

Markus Affolter¹, Yves Barde

¹Biozentrum der Universität Basel, Kingelbergstrasse 70, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland. markus.affolter@unibas.ch

Developmental Cell

|September 4, 2007

Summary

Adult fruit flies possess unique epithelial cells that are abundant, divide rapidly, and are multipotent, challenging traditional stem cell niche models. These findings offer new insights into stem cell biology and tissue regeneration.

Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Stem Cell Biology
Drosophila melanogaster Research

Background:

Tissue stem cells are typically rare and reside in specialized niches.
These niches regulate stem cell division and survival, often at low rates.
Understanding stem cell behavior outside traditional niches is crucial for regenerative medicine.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the characteristics of epithelial cells in the adult fly.
To determine if these cells conform to the typical stem cell niche model.
To explore the proliferative and multipotent potential of these non-niche epithelial cells.

Main Methods:

Utilized Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism.
Employed genetic and imaging techniques to identify and characterize epithelial cells.

More Related Videos

Laser Ablation of the Zebrafish Pronephros to Study Renal Epithelial Regeneration

Laser Ablation of the Zebrafish Pronephros to Study Renal Epithelial Regeneration

Published on: August 29, 2011

Kidney Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish by Gentamicin Induced Injury

Kidney Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish by Gentamicin Induced Injury

Published on: August 3, 2015

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 12, 2026

Analysis of Nephron Composition and Function in the Adult Zebrafish Kidney

Analysis of Nephron Composition and Function in the Adult Zebrafish Kidney

Published on: August 9, 2014

Laser Ablation of the Zebrafish Pronephros to Study Renal Epithelial Regeneration

Laser Ablation of the Zebrafish Pronephros to Study Renal Epithelial Regeneration

Published on: August 29, 2011

Kidney Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish by Gentamicin Induced Injury

Kidney Regeneration in Adult Zebrafish by Gentamicin Induced Injury

Published on: August 3, 2015

Assessed cell division rates and multipotency through experimental assays.

Main Results:

Identified a population of epithelial cells in adult flies that are not confined to niches.
These cells exist in significant numbers and exhibit high rates of cell division.
Demonstrated the multipotent capacity of these identified epithelial cells.

Conclusions:

The study challenges the conventional understanding of stem cell niches.
Suggests the existence of alternative stem cell systems or cell populations with stem-like properties.
Highlights the plasticity of epithelial cells in maintaining adult tissues.