13/06/2023
CEREBROSPINAL FLUID
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) found in and around the brain and spinal cord, forms a liquid cushion that gives buoyancy to the CNS structures. By floating the jellylike brain, the CSF effectively reduces brain weight by 97% and prevents the brain from crushing under its own weight. CSF also protects the brain and spinal cord from blows and other trauma. Additionally, although the brain has a rich blood supply, CSF helps nourish the brain, and there is some evidence that it carries chemical signals from one part of the brain to another.
CSF is a watery similar in composition to blood plasma, from which it is formed. However, it contains less protein than plasma and its ion concentrations are different. For example, CSF contains more Na+, Clβ, and H+ than does blood plasma, and less Ca2+ and K+. CSF composition, particularly its pH, is important in the control of cerebral blood flow and breathing.
The choroid plexuses that hang from the roof of each ventricle form CSF These plexuses are frond-shaped clusters of broad, thin-walled capillaries enclosed first by pia mater and then by a layer of ependymal cells lining the ventricles.These capillaries are fairly permeable, and tissue fluid filters continuously from the bloodstream. However, the choroid plexus ependymal cells are joined by tight junctions and have ion pumps that allow them to modify this filtrate by actively transporting only certain ions across their membranes into the CSF pool. This sets up ionic gradients that cause water to diffuse into the ventricles as well. In adults, the total CSF volume of about 150 ml is replaced every 8 hours or so; hence about 500 ml of CSF is formed daily. The choroid plexuses also help cleanse the CSF by removing waste products and unnecessary solutes.