A scanning electron microscopic study of the nephron

Scanning electron microscopy was used to study the ultrastructural morphology of the nephron. Material for observation was taken from rat kidneys which were fixed by vascular perfusion. Different techniques for splitting open the kidney, combined with stereoscopic viewing, provided many instructive views of nephron morphology. In addition, scanning electron microscopy revealed a number of new features including (1) the complex organization and structure of kidney podocytes; (2) the distribution of endothelial pores and the presence of endothelial microprojections and branching endothelial thickenings; and (3) the presence, distribution and morphology of microprojections and cilia on the luminal surfaces of Bowman's capsule and the uriniferous tubules.