Highly differentiated epithelial cells of the visceral layer of BOWMAN CAPSULE of the KIDNEY. They are composed of a cell body with major CELL SURFACE EXTENSIONS and secondary fingerlike extensions called pedicels. They enwrap the KIDNEY GLOMERULUS capillaries with their cell surface extensions forming a filtration structure. The pedicels of neighboring podocytes interdigitate with each other leaving between them filtration slits that are bridged by an extracellular structure impermeable to large macromolecules called the slit diaphragm, and provide the last barrier to protein loss in the KIDNEY.

Descriptor ID	D050199
MeSH Number(s)	A05.810.453.324.359.372.650 A05.810.453.736.520.720 A11.436.720
Concept/Terms	Podocytes Podocytes Podocyte Glomerular Visceral Epithelial Cells Visceral Epithelial Cells, Glomerular Epithelial Cells, Glomerular Visceral

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more general than "Podocytes".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is related to "Podocytes".

Below are MeSH descriptors whose meaning is more specific than "Podocytes".