The CSF also plays a role in the maintenance of homeostasis. As a chemical buffer to the CNS, the fluid helps to maintain proper ionic environment.
The CSF may also serve a metabolic function by acting as a medium for the transport of metabolites and nutrients between the brain and the blood. Further, it may serve to transport hormones and neurotransmitters.
The CSF may also have a nutritional function for the brain and spinal cord as well as a phagocytic role and have antioxidant properties.
Properties of CSF
CSF is a clear, colourless liquid of low specific gravity (dilute). It contains small amounts of cells & proteins and less glucose than blood plasma. It is about 90 % water. The total volume of CSF varies with the size of the animal but may be as a high as 200 ml in the horse.
THE SPINAL CORD
The spinal cord is continued caudally from the medulla oblongata of the brain. The zone of transmission is considered be the foramen magnum. The spinal cord is about 80” in length. The spinal cord lies within the vertebral canal which is formed by the articulations of successive vertebrae. Lateral openings, the intervertebral foramina, occur between the vertebrae and through which spinal nerves and blood vessels pass. The spinal cord is greatest in diameter at the cervical and lumbar intumescences or enlargements where the nerve roots of the limbs originate. The vertebral canal is also expanded in these areas. Even with the meninges, the spinal cord is considerably smaller than the vertebral canal. The spinal cord is also considerably shorter. The spinal cord ends at the level of S2, while the vertebral
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