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Podocytes are cells of the visceral epithelium in the kidneys and form a crucial component of the glomerular filtration barrier
by covering the exterior basement surface of the glomerular capillary and
maintaining a massive filtration surface. The infoldings of adjacent cell membranes (interdigitation) of these cells produces
thin filtration slits are bridged by a layer of material (currently undergoing much study to determine its composition), that acts as a filter for large macromolecules.
Structural features of podocytes indicate a high rate of vesicular traffic in these cells.
Many coated vesicles and coated pits can be seen along the basolateral domain of the podocytes.
In their cell body, podocytes possess a well-developed Endoplasmic Reticulum and a large Golgi apparatus,
indicative of a high capacity for protein synthesis and post-translational modifications.
There is also growing evidence of a large number of multivesicular bodies and other lysosomal components seen in these cells,
indicating a high endocytic activity.
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