Bowman's capsule is a structure located at the beginning of each nephron in the kidney, which is a functional unit responsible for filtering blood and producing urine. The process of filtration occurs in Bowman's capsule, which is lined by a specialized layer of cells called podocytes.
When blood enters Bowman's capsule, it passes through a network of capillaries called the glomerulus. The pressure of blood in the glomerulus forces small molecules, such as water, salts, and waste products, through the walls of the capillaries and into Bowman's capsule. This process is called filtration.
As the filtrate enters Bowman's capsule, it flows through the renal tubule, where it is further processed and eventually becomes urine. The podocytes in Bowman's capsule help to regulate the filtration process by selectively allowing certain substances to pass through and preventing others from entering the renal tubule.
Overall, Bowman's capsule plays a critical role in the kidney's function of filtering blood and removing waste products from the body.