Neuron's
surroundings in the whole brain
Q: It just crossed my mind that the cerebrospinal fluid cannot go as far as to the immediate surrounding of neurons. How is it organized and controlled? I do know about the BBB, but what happens on the brain side of it? How and what fluids are moving and where?
Thanks for your time,
Kat
A: Hi Kat,
You are right, it's not that simple. There are things to keep in mind when we talk about neuronal environment:
- The blood-brain barrier (BBB) you've mentioned
- The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulating beyond the BBB in special cisterns like spinal canal and brain ventricles
- The extracellular fluid ECF - this one is what comes the closest to the neurons
You might want to read more about it in the following articles:
The History of Artificial Cerebrospinal Fluid (ACSF)
Barriers and fluids that connect and divide blood, brain, and neurons
Tanya Zilberter
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