Emily Maylish

English 363
02/24/20

Draft Reflection:

a. I think that the detail and flow of the information went pretty well in this article. I’m

pretty happy with the design of my article as well.

b. Trying to decide how much information to include. It was really difficult to decide what

to cut out of the article.

c. The single big question I would like readers to address is Did I define the topics well

enough to understand and go into sufficient descriptive detail regarding all of the topics I

covered?
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

The Cerebrospinal Fluid System

The Cerebrospinal Fluid System (CSF System) is a bodily system that produces and

circulates fluid specific to the CSF system in the brain, the spaces between tissues around

the brain, and the central canal of the

Ventricles are hollow
spinal column. cavities or spaces in

organs which may or

The CSF system contains
may not be filled with
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), produced
organ-specific
by the choroid plexus in the third substances. In the case of

and fourth ventricles in the brain. the CSF system, the

The two spaces surrounding the ventricles in the brain are

filled with cerebrospinal

brain are referred to as the
fluid.
subarachnoid and the subdural space.

Anatomy and Physiology:


3) Illustration depicting and explaining the steps of production and flow of CSF [10].
The Defenders of the CSF System
(continued on page 2):
The choroid plexus is a tissue of the brain
that is the primary producer of cerebrospinal
fluid and is made of ependymal tissue [6]. In
addition to the production of CSF, the choroid
plexus also provides a path for immune cells
to enter the Cerebrospinal system, plays a part
in the development of neural stem cells,
produces chemical signaling compounds, and
allows for the passage of hormones into the
cerebrospinal system [6]. In most vertebrates
– creatures with a spinal column – the
development of the choroid
2) Illustration plexus
depicting begins
the CSF system and circulation [11]. Red
lines highlighting the locations of CSF added by Emily Maylish.
about halfway through the ninth day of
embryonic development [6].
Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
is a clear liquid composed mostly
of water, plasma, and sodium with
very few proteins or cells made by
the choroid plexus of the brain to
provide nutrition and hormones,
protect the brain from impacts,
filter out waste products, and
reduce the weight of the brain as
perceived by the associated individual [1-3]. CSF is
secreted by the choroid plexus is circulated through the
ventricles and drained into the subarachnoid space and
subdural
1) Illustration of the CSF system and associated
ventricles [2]
space
and tissue, as well as similar spaces in the brain and
spinal cord [3, 4]. This allows for the
liquid to filter into the veins on the
surface of the tissues surrounding the
CSF system, ultimately draining the
cerebrospinal fluid into the lymphatic
system [3, 4].
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

The flow of CSF is primarily facilitated by the expansion and contraction of the

lungs and heart and is assisted by ciliated ependyma – cells with tiny hair-like protrusions

(cilia) made of their membranes on the surface of the cells [3, 5]. New CSF is continuously

being made and completely replaces the older CSF in the brain every 6 hours [4].
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

The subarachnoid and subdural space are two cavities filled with cerebrospinal fluid

that are located around the brain between three layers of tissue - the arachnoid mater, the

pia

4) Illustration of the layers of tissue and space between the brain and skull [6].
mater, and the dura mater. The subarachnoid space is located
The Defenders of the CSF System
between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater and the subdural
Continued:
space is between the arachnoid mater and the dura mater. The
The blood-brain barrier is a very
pia mater is the closest tissue to the surface of the brain and
selective, semi-permeable membrane
covers it in a protective membrane that separates it from the
that physically separates blood in the
CSF in the ventricles. The dura mater is a membrane comprised
circulatory system from the fluid in
of two different layers of tissue that lines the inside of the skull. the CSF system. It blocks large and

The arachnoid mater – named so due to its resemblance to a potentially harmful molecules from

spider web – is a thin membrane that connects the pia and dura getting into the brain and is the initial

defensive mechanism that the brain

mater and separates the subarachnoid and subdural space [6].
has from harmful chemicals,
Although CSF flows between the entirety of the two spaces,
pathogens, and other substances.
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

there is only ciliated epithelial tissue on most of these tissues instead of the entirety of the

system.

Related Anatomical Structures:

Spinal cord: A thin tube-like bundle of nervous tissue running along the center of the spinal

column. The surface of the central/ependymal canal in the spinal cord is covered with

vessels that take in old cerebrospinal fluid to remove it from the CSF system. The spinal

cord and the ependymal canal have the same tissue - ependymal tissue - connecting them.

Ependyma/Ependymal tissue: A thin tissue that is found along the brain, spinal cord, and

the CSF system. It is made of neuroepithelial cells, which are stem cells that are specific to

the central nervous system, and is the tissue that makes up the choroid plexus. These cells

produce CSF and function as a surplus in case of any tissue damage that needs repair.

Most Common Related Diseases of

the CSF System:

Meningitis: An infectious disease that

creates inflammation in the tissues

(meninges) that cover the central nervous

system. Symptoms can include rashes,

headaches, fever, and seizures [7]. Some

5) Illustration detailing meningitis symptoms in adults [7].

 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

types include acute bacterial meningitis, viral meningitis, chronic (granulomatous)

meningitis [7].

Encephalitis: Inflammation of the brain that can be caused by several issues. There are two

main types, viral encephalitis and herpes simplex encephalitis (HSE) [7]. The most

prevalent cause of viral encephalitis is meningitis however, herpes simplex encephalitis

(HSE) can have several causes such as arbovirus, rabies, poliomyelitis, brain abscesses, and

empyema [8].

Hydrocephalus: A build up of fluid in the CSF system caused by the blockage of CSF flow.

Hydrocephalus can be caused by a variety of issues including blood clots and tumors [9].

Related Medical Procedures:

6) Representation of encephalitis [13]

 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

Lumbar puncture (Spinal Tap): A procedure done in the lower area (lumbar area) of the

spine. It involves using a needle to get a sample of cerebrospinal fluid from a patient. A

lumbar puncture is most commonly used to test for meningitis but can also be used to test

for other irregularities in the central nervous system.

Other diseases related to CSF dysfunction:

 Syphilis

 Lyme disease

 Leprosy

Glossary:

Pathogens: An organism that is too small to see with the naked eye - and requires the use of

a microscope to see - that can cause illness, such as bacteria or viruses.

Semi-permeable membrane: A membrane that allows from the flow of water, small

substances, and substances that are non-polar - which have an evenly distributed amount of

electrical charge.

Stem cells: Cells that are not completely developed and have not specialized into a

particular kind of cell. They have the ability to turn into multiple different kinds of cells

and are the subject of much cutting-edge research relating to cell development.
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

Source Evaluation Grid:

 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

Works Cited
 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

[1] B. Wright, J. Lai, and A. Sinclair, "Cerebrospinal fluid and lumbar puncture: a practical
review," Official Journal of the European Neurological Society, vol. 259, no. 8, pp. 1530-
1545, 2012, doi: 10.1007/s00415-012-6413-x.
[2] R. Di Terlizzi and S. Platt, "The function, composition and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid in
companion animals: Part I – Function and composition," The Veterinary Journal, vol. 172,
no. 3, pp. 422-431, 2006, doi: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.07.021.
[3] R. Hine, "cerebrospinal fluid," 2019.
[4] L. Sakka, G. Coll, and J. Chazal, "Anatomy and physiology of cerebrospinal fluid," European
Annals of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck diseases, vol. 128, no. 6, pp. 309-316, 2011,
doi: 10.1016/j.anorl.2011.03.002.
[5] A. Khasawneh, R. Garling, and C. Harris, "Cerebrospinal fluid circulation: What do we know
and how do we know it?," Brain Circulation, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 14-18, 2018, doi:
10.4103/bc.BC_3_18.
[6] R. Bailey, "Function and Layers of the Meninges in the Brain
A Look at the Dura Mater, Arachnoid Mater, and Pia Mater,"
[7] J. Berry, "Meningitis rash: Pictures, symptoms, and test," Medical News Today, 2019.
[8] R. S. Swenson and A. G. Reeves, "DISORDERS OF THE NERVOUS SYSTEM
A Primer,"
[9] A. K. Toma, "Hydrocephalus," Surgery (Oxford), vol. 33, no. 8, pp. 384-389, 2015, doi:
10.1016/j.mpsur.2015.05.006.
[10] B. R. Jethnani, "Anatomy of the brain, Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)," ed.
https://sites.google.com/a/sheffield.ac.uk/the-skull-and-foramina/csf-formation-1: Google
sites, p. Image depicting and explaining the steps of production and flow of CSF.
[11] M. K. Lehtinen, C. S. Bjornsson, S. M. Dymecki, R. J. Gilbertson, D. M. Holtzman, and E. S.
Monuki, "The Choroid Plexus and Cerebrospinal Fluid: Emerging Roles in Development,
Disease, and Therapy," The Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 33, no. 45, 2013.
[12] P. L. Melody, S. M. Edwin, and K. L. Maria, "Development and functions of the choroid
plexus–cerebrospinal fluid system," Nature Reviews Neuroscience, vol. 16, no. 8, p. 445,
2015, doi: 10.1038/nrn3921.
[13] P. Kerkar, "Encephalitis: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, Complications, Diagnosis, Risk
Factors, Prevention,"

Postwrite:

I utilized parenthetical definitions including ventricles, the choroid plexus, the blood-brain

barrier, and the in-text definition for ciliated ependyma in the middle of paragraph 3.

Additionally, I used exemplification to add some more description to the definition of

arachnoid mater in paragraph 4. I also included a glossary to define additional terms that

didn’t fit in as well with the rest of my definition.

 Emily Maylish
English 363
02/24/20

Acknowledgements:

I am very thankful for all the feedback I received from my classmates at my table. They

were all very positive and gave me specific things that I could improve. Most of what was

suggested was adding titles and separating sentences into smaller parts. In my opinion the

best advice I got from a classmate, Alejandra Prado, was to bold the words I wanted to set

aside for out-of-text definitions instead of adding a numerical reference, since I was doing

the same thing with my citations. I think I was able to really improve my paper by

following this advice. I also appreciate how detailed Trevor Zimmerman-Thompson was

with his review. It really helped me look at my paper as an inexperienced reader in regard

to my topic. Lastly, I’d like to really thank you, Professor Bruce, for the amazing amount of

input you were able to give me in such a limited amount of time. I really appreciate the

time you took to help me when your day was already incredibly busy. Thank you so much!