Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Renal Corpuscle01:20

Renal Corpuscle

8.5K
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...
8.5K
Glomerular Filtration01:15

Glomerular Filtration

6.9K
The filtration membrane in the renal system is a highly specialized structure essential for filtering blood. It consists of glomerular capillaries and podocytes, forming a selective barrier that permits the passage of water and small solutes while restricting most plasma proteins and blood cells.
Components of the Filtration Membrane
The filtration process involves three key layers: the glomerular endothelial cells, the basement membrane, and the podocyte-formed filtration slits.
6.9K
Tight Junctions01:29

Tight Junctions

8.7K
Tight junctions are molecular seals between cells that prevent the leaking of fluids, ions, and other small solutes across cavities and compartments in multicellular organisms. They are mainly composed of claudin and occludin transmembrane proteins, and other proteins such as tricellulin and JAM (junctional adhesion molecule). All these proteins are 4-pass transmembrane proteins, except JAM, which is a single-pass transmembrane protein belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily. The...
8.7K
Nephrons01:10

Nephrons

8.4K
The kidneys are intricate organs with millions of working units known as nephrons. Each nephron features two major structures: the renal corpuscle, which facilitates blood plasma filtration, and the renal tubule, which handles the glomerular filtrate. Blood supply is directly linked to the nephrons. The renal corpuscle consists of the glomerulus, a capillary network, and the Bowman's capsule, a double-walled epithelial structure that encases the glomerulus. The filtering of blood plasma...
8.4K
Aquaporins01:25

Aquaporins

6.9K
Aquaporins or AQPs are a family of integral membrane proteins whose primary function is to transport water, while some called aquaglyceroporins also transport glycerol. In addition, aquaporins have also been suspected to be involved in transporting volatile substances, such as carbon dioxide and ammonia, across membranes. Such AQPs that act as gas channels are often highly expressed in cells involved in the gaseous exchange, such as red blood cells, epithelial cells, and pulmonary capillaries.
6.9K
Filtration and Urine Formation01:32

Filtration and Urine Formation

54.6K
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.
54.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

The role of suPAR and related proteins in kidney, heart diseases, and diabetes.

The Journal of clinical investigation·2026
Same author

Soluble urokinase receptor is a kidney-specific vasoconstrictor.

EBioMedicine·2025
Same author

Dysregulated Bone Marrow Contributes to Glomerular Injury through Soluble Factors.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN·2025
Same author

Pathogenesis of Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis and Related Disorders.

Annual review of pathology·2025
Same author

Treatment of Podocytopathies: Risky Business and Our Personal Journey.

Journal of the American Society of Nephrology : JASN·2024
Same author

Circulating soluble urokinase plasminogen receptor is reduced by - and predicts early treatment response to therapeutic plasma exchange in septic shock.

Journal of critical care·2024
Same journal

The Outcome of Cardiac Hydatid Surgery in The Iraqi Center of Heart Diseases.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Perception of body donation among the Phase-1 medical students, a questionnaire-based study.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Exploring Infertility in Saudi Arabia: Qualitative Insights into IVF Treatment Services and Policy Recommendations.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Cyber Military Operations under International Humanitarian Law: Interpreting the Concept of "Attack" and Challenges in Protecting Civilians.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Sentiment Analysis of Acceptance TVET Online Courses on the Skill Academy App from Google Play: Leveraging Text Mining with Comparison Machine Learning Model.

F1000Research·2026
Same journal

Emotional intelligence: An important skill to learn now more than ever.

F1000Research·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Author Spotlight: Generation of Patient-Derived Podocytes from Skin Biopsies
08:52

Author Spotlight: Generation of Patient-Derived Podocytes from Skin Biopsies

Published on: May 26, 2023

3.2K

Podocytes.

Jochen Reiser1, Mehmet M Altintas1

  • 1Department of Medicine, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA.

F1000Research
|February 27, 2016
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Podocytes are vital kidney cells forming a filtration barrier. Damage to these cells, known as foot process effacement, is a key sign of proteinuric kidney diseases.

Keywords:
Podocytesglomerular filtrationkidney glomerulusurinary ultrafiltrate

More Related Videos

Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions
08:06

Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions

Published on: July 2, 2020

5.2K
An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney
10:14

An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney

Published on: November 1, 2018

14.7K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 25, 2026

Author Spotlight: Generation of Patient-Derived Podocytes from Skin Biopsies
08:52

Author Spotlight: Generation of Patient-Derived Podocytes from Skin Biopsies

Published on: May 26, 2023

3.2K
Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions
08:06

Guided Differentiation of Mature Kidney Podocytes from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Under Chemically Defined Conditions

Published on: July 2, 2020

5.2K
An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney
10:14

An Efficient Sieving Method to Isolate Intact Glomeruli from Adult Rat Kidney

Published on: November 1, 2018

14.7K

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Cell Biology
  • Renal Physiology

Background:

  • Podocytes are specialized glomerular cells crucial for kidney filtration.
  • They form a barrier with filtration slits between foot processes, preventing protein leakage.
  • Podocyte structure and signaling are essential for maintaining renal function.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the role of podocytes in glomerular filtration.
  • To discuss structural changes in podocytes linked to kidney diseases.
  • To summarize current research on podocyte function and dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • Review of contemporary literature on podocyte biology.
  • Analysis of morphological changes in podocytes in glomerular diseases.
  • Synthesis of current basic and clinical research findings.

Main Results:

  • Podocytes actively regulate glomerular filtration via filtration slits.
  • Foot process effacement is a hallmark of proteinuric renal diseases.
  • Podocyte cytoskeletal dynamics and cell-layer signaling are critical for kidney health.

Conclusions:

  • Podocyte integrity is fundamental for proper kidney function.
  • Understanding podocyte changes aids in diagnosing and managing glomerular diseases.
  • Ongoing research continues to elucidate podocyte roles in renal health and disease.