Which ventricles produce csf

Excretion of waste products : the one-way flow from the CSF to the blood takes potentially harmful metabolites, drugs and other substances away from the brain. Endocrine medium for the brain : the CSF serves to transport hormones to other areas of the brain. Hormones released into the CSF can be carried to remote sites of the brain where they may act.

Image adapted from Biodidac. Under some pathological conditions, CSF builds up within the ventricles. This condition is called hydrocephalus. It also contains information about health conditions related to your ventricular system and how those conditions are diagnosed.

Your brain's ventricular system is comprised of four ventricles as well as small structures that connect each ventricle called foramina. The first and second ventricles are lateral ventricles. These C-shaped structures are located on each side of your cerebral cortex , the wrinkly outer layer of your brain.

The third ventricle is a narrow, funnel-shaped structure situated between your right and left thalamus , just above your brain stem. The fourth ventricle is a diamond-shaped structure that runs alongside your brain stem. It has four openings through which cerebrospinal fluid drains into an area surrounding your brain subarachnoid space and the central canal of your spinal cord. CSF takes the following route through the four ventricles:.

The average adult has about milliliters mL of CSF circulating their ventricles and subarachnoid space at any given time. Your brain has four ventricles that produce cerebrospinal fluid.

This fluid drains from your fourth ventricle into a canal surrounding your brain and spinal cord. Aside from cerebrospinal fluid, your brain ventricles are hollow.

Their sole function is to produce and secrete cerebrospinal fluid to protect and maintain your central nervous system. CSF is constantly bathing the brain and spinal column, clearing out toxins and waste products released by nerve cells. One such waste product—the amyloid A-b peptide—increases the risk of Alzheimer's disease if too much accumulates in the brain.

In addition, cerebrospinal fluid serves a number of other important functions:. Infection, head trauma, and bleeding in the brain can cause inflammation in the ventricles and subarachnoid space. That inflammation blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, causing the ventricles to swell in size and placing pressure on the brain. The following ventricle-related conditions are life threatening. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms described below, call or have someone take you to the nearest ER right away.

Hydrocephalus is a life-threatening medical condition in which cerebrospinal fluid gets blocked and builds up in the ventricles or subarachnoid space. As a result, pressure within the skull increases and the ventricles enlarge. Hydrocephalus can be present at birth due to a genetic or developmental abnormality.

It can also develop due to a brain or spinal chord tumor , a stroke or head trauma that causes bleeding in the brain, or an infection like bacterial meningitis.

There are two primary types of hydrocephalus:. Any person of any age can get hydrocephalus, but it is most common in infants and adults ages 60 and older. Symptoms of hydrocephalus vary slightly among age groups. In infants, symptoms of hydrocephalus include:. In older adults, the symptoms include:.

In all other age groups, the symptoms of hydrocephalus can include:. The subarachnoid space is lined with membranes known as the meninges. Meningitis develops when this lining, along with cerebrospinal fluid, becomes infected and inflamed. Meningitis can be caused by bacterial, viral, parasitic, or fungal infections , but the most serious form is bacterial meningitis. Bacterial meningitis can block the flow of CSF in the subarachnoid space and in the ventricles, ultimately resulting in hydrocephalus.

The symptoms of meningitis tend to come on very quickly and can include:. The choroid plexus in your ventricles contains of layer of tissue known as the ependymal lining. Ventriculitis occurs when this lining becomes inflamed due to meningitis, head trauma, or a complication of brain surgery. Symptoms of ventriculitis mimic meningitis and can include:.

A stroke, ruptured aneurysm , or traumatic brain injury can cause bleeding in the subarachnoid space or ventricles. These injuries are known as subarachnoid hemorrhage or intraventricular hemorrhage , respectively. Both types of brain hemorrhage can result in hydrocephalus as blood clots form and block the flow of cerebrospinal fluid in and around the brain ventricles.

Symptoms of brain hemorrhage come on suddenly and can include:. If you suspect you have a brain hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, meningitis, or ventriculitis—all of which affect the ventricles—you need to get medical attention as soon as possible. These conditions are immediately life-threatening. Cerebrospinal Fluid CSF flows through the four ventricles and then flows between the meninges in an area called the subarachnoid space. CSF cushions the brain and spinal cord against forceful blows, distributes important substances, and carries away waste products.

Under normal conditions, a delicate balance exists between the amount of CSF produced and the rate at which it is absorbed. Our bodies produce approximately one pint of CSF every day, continuously replacing it as it is absorbed. Hydrocephalus develops when this balance is altered and is characterized by an abnormal accumulation of CSF within the ventricles. This accumulation of CSF increases the pressure in the brain causing the ventricles to enlarge and the brain to be pressed against the skull.

CSF is primarily produced within the lateral the third ventricles by delicate tufts of specialized tissue called the choroid plexus. In some cases, hydrocephalus can develop when the choroid plexus produces too much CSF. This can happen when there is a tumor on the choroid plexus, for example.

CSF flows from the lateral ventricles through two narrow passageways into the third ventricle. From the third ventricle, it flows down another long passageway known as the aqueduct of Sylvius into the fourth ventricle.