Definition
The extracellular space (ECS) comprises a system of contiguous narrow spaces interposed between the brain cells. It occupies approximately 20% of the brain tissue volume. Mathematical modeling quantifies the macroscopic parameters of the ECS from experimental data obtained with diffusion analysis and tests the hypotheses about the ECS microstructure.
Detailed Description
The ECS is filled with ionic solution and macromolecules of the extracellular matrix. Its structure is determined by the shape of brain cells (neurons and glia) and their processes (axons and dendrites), the width of pores between the cells, and the extracellular matrix (Fig. 1). The ECS is fundamentally important for the brain function as it complements neuronal and glial networks. Instead of merely filling the void between the brain cells, as its name might suggest, the ECS exerts a direct influence on many essential processes in...
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References
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Acknowledgments
This work was supported by the NIH NINDS under Award R01 NS047557.
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Hrabetova, S., Hrabe, J. (2019). Brain Extracellular Space: A Compartment for Intercellular Communication and Drug Delivery. In: Jaeger, D., Jung, R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Computational Neuroscience. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_716-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_716-2
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Brain Extracellular Space: A Compartment for Intercellular Communication and Drug Delivery- Published:
- 03 August 2019
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_716-2
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Brain Extracellular Space: A Compartment for Intercellular Communication and Drug Delivery- Published:
- 08 February 2014
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7320-6_716-1