The blood-brain barrier: Morphology, molecules, and neurothelin

✍ Scribed by Burkhard Schlosshauer

• Book ID: 102760912
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 720 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0265-9247
• DOI: 10.1002/bies.950150508

✦ Synopsis

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a complex structure formed by vascular endothelial cells, which serve to stabilize the horneostasic processes that are essential for neural functioning. The barrier relies on tight junctions between neighboring endothelial cells and a highly restricted passage of blood-borne components through the endothelial lining. Selective transport mechanisms guarantee the essential import and export of metabolites through the EBB into and out of the neural microenvironment. The dual functions of barrier and carrier depend on distinct proteins, some of which have been characterized in detail.