Circulation of cerebro-spinal fluid
by k_thrn
Choroid plexus secretory cells. Coloured scanning electron micrograph (SEM) of a freeze-fractured choroid plexus from a brain. The fracture plane (grey) has revealed the vertical columns of secretory cells, whose tips make up the surface (upper right). The tips are swollen due to increased secretion of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that they produce. The choroid plexus is a network of capillary blood vessels that is found in each of the four ventricles (fluid-filled cavities) of the brain. It produces some of the CSF that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. Magnification: x5000 at 6x7cm size.
Brain ventricle. Confocal light micrograph of a section through one of the ventricles of the brain (centre). Ventricles are cavities within the brain that are continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord and filled with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The fluid circulates through the ventricles, cushioning the brain. A selective barrier (bright green) around the ventricle prevents potentially harmful molecules or micro- organisms from entering the CSF. Surrounding the barrier are glial cells (red) a type of support cell that may help maintain the barrier. Back
Hydrocephalic skull. Historical illustration of an enlarged hydrocephalic skull. The condition hydrocephalus, or “water on the brain”, is the excessive production of, or a block in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain cavities. The condition can be caused by injury or it can be congenital (present from birth). In children, where the skull bone plates have not yet fused, an enlarged skull can result, as seen. The condition can be fatal if left untreated. Illustration from a book published in 1820.
