Kidney (labels) - EM

This is an electron micrograph that shows a portion of 1 capillary loop with adjacent mesangium. The endothelial cell nucleus sits over the origin of the mesangium, which is where it is usually found. A few pores through the endothelial cytoplasm can be seen. The glomerular basement membrane lamina lucida externa is the thin lucent zone just under the foot processes of the visceral epithelial cell. The bulk of the basement membrane is the lamina densa.

Histology image courtesy of J. Charles Jennette, M.D. at the University of North Carolina.