Library · Physiology
Cerebrospinal fluid
Make it clearer
Cerebrospinal fluid, abbreviated CSF, is the fluid that bathes the brain and spinal cord. It fills the ventricles of the brain, which are cavities inside it, and the subarachnoid spaces, the gaps between the layers that wrap the nervous system, both in the skull and in the spine.
About 80% is made in the choroid plexus, a network of modified ependymal cells, that is, cells that line those cavities and are adapted here to produce the fluid. Their epithelium, the layer they form, wraps around clusters of fenestrated capillaries, vessels with openings that let plasma filter out of the blood.
Its essential jobs include delivering nutrients, removing waste, and providing protection. As a cushion, it keeps the brain from striking the skull, which is rigid and does not give. It is the water in a bag that protects what sits inside.
In brief
Cerebrospinal fluid sits in the brain's ventricles and in the subarachnoid spaces of the skull and spine, surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
About 80% is produced by the choroid plexus, a network of modified ependymal cells whose epithelium wraps around clusters of fenestrated capillaries and allows plasma to filter through.
Its essential jobs include delivering nutrients, removing waste, and providing protection: it cushions the brain and keeps it from striking the rigid skull.
It is the water in a bag that protects what sits inside.
Sources (2)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, StatPearls PublishingPhysiology, Cerebral Spinal Fluid, StatPearlsPublished
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collection (Medical Encyclopedia)
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated