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AnatomyAbdomenKidneys and uretersRenal corpuscle
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AnatomyAbdomenKidneys and uretersRenal corpuscle

Renal corpuscle

Author: Danijel Tosovic, PhD • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 1 minute

Recommended video: Internal structure of the kidney [06:47]
Renal cortex and related structures.
Renal corpuscle
Corpusculum renale
1/3
Synonyms: Malpighian body

The renal corpuscle is a small, round-shaped component of the nephron, located in the renal cortex of kidneys. Each renal corpuscle is made up of two structures: a small tuft of capillaries known as the glomerulus, and a surrounding cup-shaped structure known as the Bowman's capsule (glomerular capsule). In total, there are approximately one-million renal corpuscles in each kidney. They serve as the kidney's filtration units. Blood is filtered by the glomerulus and the filtered fluid (glomerular filtrate) is collected in the Bowman's capsule and passed on to the tubular network of the nephron to form urine.

As new nephrons are not developed after birth, any lost renal corpuscles cannot be replaced and only decrease in number with age, which translates to the reduced rate of glomerular filtration seen with older age. 

Terminology English: Renal corpuscle
Latin: Corpusculum renale
Structure Renal corpuscle = glomerulus + Bowman's capsule. 
Location Renal cortex of kidney
Function Filters blood

Learn more about the kidneys with this study unit:

Kidneys Explore study unit

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Marieb, E., & Hoehn, K. (2022). Human Anatomy and Physiology, Global Edition. (12th ed.). Pearson Education, Limited.

Standring, S., Anand, N., & Tunstall, R. (2021). Gray's anatomy : the anatomical basis of clinical practice (Forty-second edition). Elsevier.

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