Cerebrospinal fluid

This clear, water-like fluid forms, for the most part, within the brain, more specifically inside the ventriclesThe brain is not an entirely solid organ. There are chambers within the brain, referred to as ventricles or, more correc... of the brain. Blood flows through structures inside the ventriclesThe brain is not an entirely solid organ. There are chambers within the brain, referred to as ventricles or, more correc..., called the choroid plexuses, and clear fluid is produced as a result, passing into the ventricle. This process is akin to blood flowing through the kidneys and urine being produced as a result. An important difference is that, unlike urine, the cerebrospinal fluid is not passed out of the body periodically. Instead, the fluid is re-absorbed back into the blood stream, mostly via the arachnoid granulationsOut-pouching of arachnoid material (or tissue) into the superior sagittal sinus. They form a principal route via which c..., into the cerebral venous sinusesBlood enters the brain through four arteries, one on each side of the midline at the front of the neck and another pair .... In the course of a 24-hour period, most healthy adults will produce about 500mls (or a pint) of cerebrospinal fluid, although at any one time the average adult will have around 150mls of fluid around the brain and spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest .... The fluid has both physical and chemical functions, descriptions of which are beyond the scope of this glossary. Read more