Terminology Service for NFDI4Health

circumventricular organ

Go to external page http://purl.obolibrary.org/obo/UBERON_0005408


Any of any of the secretory or sensory organs located in the brain region around or in relation to the ventricular system that are characterized by extensive vasculature and a lack of a normal blood brain barrier (BBB) and allow for the linkage between the central nervous system and peripheral blood flow. [ ]

Term info

Label

circumventricular organ

Synonyms
  • CVO
  • circumventricular organ
  • circumventricular organ of neuraxis
database cross reference
Subsets

pheno_slim

abbreviation
CVO [ NLXANAT : 20090312 ]

depicted by

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7d/Gray734.png

id

UBERON:0005408

structure notes

CVOs contain neural tissue and are an integral part of neuroendocrine function; all of the CVOs, besides the subcommissural organ, contain extensive vasculature and fenestrated capillaries which leads to a leaky BBB at the site of the organs; the lack of a BBB allows CVOs to act as an alternative route for peptides and hormones in the neural tissue to the peripheral blood stream, while still protecting it from toxic substances

taxon notes

All vertebrates possess at least 4 circumventricular organs (including the hypothalamus) which can monitor the contents of the cerebrospinal fluid and secrete additional substances into it. (Butler, 1996, p. 330)

Term relations

Subclass of: