word

Cerebrospinal Fluid

seh-REE-broh-SPY-nul FLOO-id

/sɪˌriːbroʊˈspaɪnəl ˈfluːɪd/

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Syllable breakdown

cerebrospinalfluid

Dictionary meaning

A clear, colourless bodily fluid produced in the choroid plexus of the brain's ventricles that flows through and around the brain and spinal cord, serving to cushion the central nervous system from mechanical shock, remove metabolic waste, deliver nutrients, and maintain stable intracranial pressure; analysis of CSF via lumbar puncture is an important diagnostic tool in neurology.

Examples

The lumbar puncture revealed elevated protein in the cerebrospinal fluid, suggesting inflammation of the meninges.
Cerebrospinal fluid is continuously produced and reabsorbed, turning over completely several times each day.

Synonyms: CSF, spinal fluid, liquor cerebrospinalis

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