glomerulus

[ gloh-mer-yuh-luhs, gluh- ]

noun

, Anatomy.

, plural glo·mer·u·li [gloh-, mer, -y, uh, -lahy, gl, uh, -].

1. a compact cluster of capillaries.
2. Also called Malpighian tuft. a tuft of convoluted capillaries in the nephron of a kidney, functioning to remove certain substances from the blood before it flows into the convoluted tubule.

glomerulus

/ ɡlɒˈmɛrʊləs /

noun

1. a knot of blood vessels in the kidney projecting into the capsular end of a urine-secreting tubule
2. any cluster or coil of blood vessels, nerve fibres, etc, in the body

glomerulus

/ glō-mĕr′yə-ləs /

, Plural glomeruli glō-mĕr′yə-lī′

1. A knot of highly permeable capillaries located within the Bowman's capsule of a nephron. Waste products are filtered from the blood in the glomerulus, initiating the process of urine formation.

Derived Forms

• gloˈmerular, adjective

Other Words From

• glo·meru·lar adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of glomerulus¹

1855–60; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin glomer- (stem of glomus ) ball-shaped mass + -ulus -ule

Word History and Origins

Origin of glomerulus¹

C18: from New Latin, diminutive of glomus ball

Example Sentences

First, tinkering with earlier receptors in glomeruli tends to more intensely disrupt odor perception.

From Singularity Hub 

The problem is that all glomeruli aren’t created equal in the chain of neural data command.

From Singularity Hub 

This point is, however, difficult to make sure of owing to the facility with which the glomerulus breaks away.

From Project Gutenberg

We have reason to think that the corpuscles and vascular channels in the glomerulus are developed in situ.

From Project Gutenberg

Summary of the development of the head-kidney and glomerulus.

From Project Gutenberg

As we hope to shew, this chamber soon becomes largely filled by a vascular glomerulus.

From Project Gutenberg

The pronephric cavity with its glomerulus is identical in structure with a malpighian body.

From Project Gutenberg