The normal human renal glomerulus.

A detailed analysis has been made of human renal biopsy tissue from thirteen subjects, judged to be "normal" by a variety of clinical tests. Analysis was made subjectively, and where possible by objective measurement, of routine diagnostic preparations, and of montages of entire glomeruli. Each approach provided useful information which had not been recorded before. Subjective examination was valuable only in the detection of glomerular changes that represent glomerular damage by their very presence of which are present in extreme degree. The random photography of material prepared for outline examination provided data for the quantitation of several glomerular constituents, and information concerning epithelial cell organelle content. Whole glomerular montages provided the opportunity to measure many more parameters of overall glomerular architecture. Comparisons were made, when possible, with the results of other workers.