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The glomerular basement membrane is the basal laminal portion of the glomerulus which performs the actual filtration though the filtration slits between the podocytes , separating the blood on the inside from the filtrate on the outside. It is a fusion of the endothelial cell and podocyte basal laminas. [1]
[edit] Layers
The GBM contains three layers: [2]
Layer |
Location |
Composition |
Function |
lamina rara externa |
adjacent to podocyte processes |
heparan sulfate |
blocks by charge |
lamina densa |
dark central zone |
type 4 collagen and laminin |
blocks by size (MW > 69,000) |
lamina rara interna |
adjacent to endothelial cells |
heparan sulfate |
blocks by charge |
[edit] Pathology
- Goodpasture's syndrome is also known as "anti-glomerular basement membrane disease". Capillaries become inflamed as a result of damage to the basement membrane by antibodies.
- Diabetic glomerulosclerosis is a thickening of the basement membrane, which can become up to 4-5 times thicker than normal. Can be caused by insulin deficiency or resultant hyperglycemia.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Physiology at MCG 7/7ch04/7ch04p07 - "Basement Membrane"
- ^ JCI - New articles published
[edit] External links