Developmental medicine and child neurology
The most recent articles from:
Dev Med Child Neurol
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Dev Med Child Neurol · Dec 1980
Ventricular ependyma of normal and hydrocephalic subjects: a scanning electronmicroscopic study.
Recent scanning electronmicroscopic studies of the ependymal surfaces of the lateral, third and fourth ventricles of a variety of animals have shown that most areas are covered by numerous cilia. In this paper, the density of the ciliary population in each of the ventricles is illustrated with material taken from human and rat brains. ⋯ Theories concerning the functions of the cilia are reviewed, and a new one accounting for why they are present in such large numbers is suggested. It is proposed that the cilia, together with the ventricular system and the cerebrospinal fluid, provide a cooling system for the brain.