cerebrospinal fluid

Examples of cerebrospinal fluid in the following topics:

• Spinal Tap

  • A lumbar puncture, or spinal tap, is a procedure used to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), typically for diagnostic purposes.
  • The most common reason for a lumbar puncture is to collect cerebrospinal fluid in a case of suspected meningitis.
  • The stylet from the spinal needle is then withdrawn and drops of cerebrospinal fluid are collected.
  • The opening pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid may also be recorded during the procedure.
  • Several substances found in cerebrospinal fluid are available for diagnostic measurement:

• Cerebrospinal Fluid and Its Circulation

  • Cerebrospinal fluid is a clear fluid that acts as a cushion for the brain and maintains overall central nervous system homeostasis.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space and the ventricular system around and inside the brain and spinal cord.
  • Lumbar puncture is performed in an attempt to count the cells in the fluid and to detect the levels of protein and glucose.
  • Describe the role and circulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the nervous system

• Specimen Collection

  • There are several types of specimens recommended for diagnosis of immunological diseases including: serum samples, virology swab samples, biopsy and necropsy tissue, cerebrospinal fluid, whole blood for PCR, and urine samples.
  • Another type of specimen used for disease diagnosis is cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
  • This consists of the insertion of a hollow needle beneath the arachnoid membrane of the spinal cord in the lumbar region to withdraw cerebrospinal fluid for diagnostic purposes or to administer medication.

• Body Fluid Composition

  • The pH of the intracellular fluid is 7.4.
  • The concentrations of the other ions in cytosol or intracellular fluid are quite different from those in extracellular fluid.
  • The extracellular fluid is mainly cations and anions.
  • Cerebrospinal fluid is similar in composition to blood plasma, but lacks most proteins, such as albumins because they are too large to pass through the blood-brain barrier.
  • Ocular fluid in the eyes contrasts cerebrospinal fluid by containing high concentrations of proteins, including antibodies.

• Glia

  • They provide nutrients and other substances to neurons, regulate the concentrations of ions and chemicals in the extracellular fluid, and provide structural support for synapses.
  • Ependymal cells line fluid-filled ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord.
  • They are involved in the production of cerebrospinal fluid, which serves as a cushion for the brain, moves the fluid between the spinal cord and the brain, and is a component for the choroid plexus.
  • Ependymal cells produce cerebrospinal fluid that cushions the neurons.

• Ventricles

  • The ventricular system is a set of hollow cavities in the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid.
  • The fluid then flows around the superior sagittal sinus to be reabsorbed via the arachnoid villi into the venous system.

• Blood-Brain Barrier

  • Tight junctions present in the blood-brain barrier separate circulating blood from cerebrospinal fluid, regulating diffusion into the brain.
  • The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a separation of circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system (CNS).
  • In a later experiment, his student Edwin Goldmann found that when dye is directly injected into the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of animals' brains, the brains were dyed while the rest of the organs were unaffected.

• Synovial Membranes

  • The water component of synovial fluid is effectively trapped in the joint space by the hyaluronan, due to its large, highly negatively charged moeties.
  • The type A synoviocytes are responsible for the removal of undesirable substances from the synovial fluid.
  • The primary function of the meninges and of the cerebrospinal fluid is to protect the central nervous system.
  • As such it is a very thin, delicate membrane composed of fibrous tissue covered on its outer surface by a sheet of flat cells thought to be impermeable to fluid.
  • The subarachnoid space is the space that normally exists between the arachnoid and the pia mater, which is filled with cerebrospinal fluid.

• Distribution of Lymphatic Vessels

  • The lymphatic system is a circulatory system for lymphatic fluid, comprising a network of conduits called lymphatic vessels that carry the fluid in one direction toward the heart.
  • Conversely, lymph nodes are not found in the areas of the upper central nervous system, where tissue drains into cerebrospinal fluid instead of lymph, though there are some lymph vessels in the meninges.
  • The lymphatic vessels start with the collection of lymph fluid from the interstitial fluid.
  • When the pressure for interstitial fluid in the interstitial space becomes large enough it leaks into lymph capillaries, which are the site for lymph fluid collection.
  • As the lymph vessels become larger, their function changes from collecting fluid from the tissues to propelling fluid forward.

• Fluid Compartments

  • The major body fluid compartments include: intracellular fluid and extracellular fluid (plasma, interstitial fluid, and trancellular fluid).
  • The intracellular fluid of the cytosol or intracellular fluid (or cytoplasm) is the fluid found inside cells.
  • Extracellular fluid (ECF) or extracellular fluid volume (ECFV) usually denotes all body fluid outside of cells.
  • It is the intravascular fluid part of extracellular fluid (all body fluid outside of cells).
  • Examples of this fluid are cerebrospinal fluid, and ocular fluid, joint fluid, and the pleaural cavity which contain fluid that is only found in their respective epithelium-lined spaces.