Cerebrospinal FluidThis clear, water-like fluid forms, for the most part, within the brain, more specifically inside the ventricles of the ... (CSF), is a clear, colourless liquid that fills and surrounds the brain and
the spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest ... and provides a mechanical barrier against shock. Formed primarily in 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, the cerebrospinal fluidThis clear, water-like fluid forms, for the most part, within the brain, more specifically inside the ventricles of the ... supports the brain and provides lubrication
between surrounding bones and the brain and spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest .... When an individual suffers a
head injury, the fluid acts as a cushion, dulling the force by distributing its impact. The fluid
helps to maintain pressure within the cranium at a constant level. An increase in the volume
of blood or brain tissueIn everyday speech a piece of tissue is a thin sheet of paper, used to wrap a present or, in a slightly different form, ... results in a corresponding decrease in the fluid. Conversely, if there
is a decrease in the volume of matter within the cranium, as occurs in atrophyThis is a process when one of the body organs, or part of it, physically wastes away. This usually results from that bod... of the brain,
the CSF compensates with an increase in volume. The fluid also transports metabolic waste
products, antibodies, chemicals, and pathological products of disease away from the brain
and spinal-cord tissueIn everyday speech a piece of tissue is a thin sheet of paper, used to wrap a present or, in a slightly different form, ... into the bloodstream. CSF is slightly alkaline and is about 99 percent
water. There are about 100 to 150 ml of CSF in the normal adult human body.
The exact method of the formation of the CSF is uncertain. After originating in 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, it is probably filtered through the nervous-system membranes (ependymaA single layer of cells that line the ventricles of the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord.). The
CSF is continually produced, and all of it is replaced every six to eight hours. The fluid is
eventually absorbed into the veins; it leaves the cerebrospinal spaces in a variety of
locations, including spaces around the spinal roots and the cranial nervesTwelve pairs of nerves (for the right and left sides of the body) that pass directly from the brain to carry signals dir.... Movement of the
CSF is affected by the downward pull of gravity, the continual process of secretion and
absorption, blood pulsations in contingent tissueIn everyday speech a piece of tissue is a thin sheet of paper, used to wrap a present or, in a slightly different form, ..., respiration, pressure from the veins, and
head and body movements.
Examination of the CSF may diagnose a number of diseases. A fluid sample is obtained by
inserting a needle into the lumbarThe small of the back, below the ribcage or, in neurological practice, the spine in this region. region of the lower back below the termination of the
spinal cordThe main nerve trunk running down the spinal canal and connecting the individual’s mind and consciousness to the rest ...; this procedure is called a lumbar punctureA long needle is passed into the lower part of the spine, in order to remove some cerebrospinal fluid. This may be to re... or spinal tap. If the CSF is cloudy,
meningitisThis word simply means that the membranes which line the inside of the skull and spinal canal have become inflamed. An o... (inflammation of the central nervous systemThe brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system. Nerves issue from both structures, passing out of... lining) may be present. Blood in the
fluid may indicate a haemorrhage in or around the brain.