Zebrafish Kidney Function

The zebrafish pronephric kidney produces a functional and relevant model of kidney development and function. The zebrafish pronephros in a 3-day-old larvae is composed of a glomerulus, pronephric tubules and paired pronephric ducts. At 24 hpf, the nephron primordium appears as an infolding of the coelomic lining and a clear opening to the coelom is apparent. It is present ventral to the third somite. At 32 - 33 hpf, the detachment of the nephron primordium from the coelom is complete. It now appears distinct and a different group of cells with no attachment to the body cavity. By 40 hpf, a clear morphological distinction is evident between the midline cells and cells lying laterally, adjacent to the anterior tip of the pronephric duct. Happy