Bowman's capsule

[boh-muhnz]

noun

Anatomy.

1. a membranous, double-walled capsule surrounding a glomerulus of a nephron.

Bowman's capsule

1. A cup-shaped structure around the glomerulus of each nephron of the vertebrate kidney. It serves as a filter to remove organic wastes, excess inorganic salts, and water. Bowman's capsule is named after its identifier, English physician and physiologist, Sir William Bowman (1816–1892).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Bowman's capsule¹

1880–85; named after Sir William Bowman (1816–92), English surgeon