The Sensory Circumventricular Organs of the Mammalian Brain: Subfornical Organ, OVLT and Area Postrema (Advances in Anatomy, Embryology and Cell Biology, 172)

The brain's three sensory circumventricular organs, the subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and the area postrema lack a blood brain barrier and are the only regions in the brain in which neurons are exposed to the chemical environment of the systemic circulation. Therefore they are ideally placed to monitor the changes in osmotic, ionic and hormonal composition of the blood. This book describes their - General structure and relationship to the cerebral ventricles - Regional subdivisions - Vasculature and barrier properties - Neurons, glia and ependymal cells - Receptors, neurotransmitters, neuropeptides and enzymes - Neuroanatomical connections - Functions Front Matter....Pages I-XII Introduction....Pages 1-2 Location, General Structure and Ependymal Cells of Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 3-16 Regional Subdivisions Within Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 17-22 Vasculature, Compartmental Barriers, Neurons and Glia in the Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 23-34 Neurochemical Aspects of Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 35-54 The Neural Connections of the Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 55-66 Immediate-Early Gene Expression in Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 67-79 Functions of the Sensory Circumventricular Organs....Pages 81-97 Back Matter....Pages 99-127 The brain's three sensory circumventricular organs, the subfornical organ, organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis and the area postrema lack a blood brain barrier and are the only regions in the brain in which neurons are exposed to the chemical environment of the systemic circulation. Therefore they are ideally placed to monitor the changes in osmotic, ionic and hormonal composition of the blood. Book jacket This is the only book entirely devoted to the sensory circumventricular organs. It reviews research into their detailed anatomy, neurochemistry, neural connections, and functions, and provides the reader with many illustrations previously unpublished. Circumventricular organs (CVOs) are found in the brains of all vertebrates.