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The brainstem is very small, making up around only 2.6 percent of the brain's total weight. [3] It has the critical roles of regulating heart and respiratory function, helping to control heart rate and breathing rate. [4] It also provides the main motor and sensory nerve supply to the face and neck via the cranial nerves.
The ependyma is made up of ependymal cells called ependymocytes, a type of glial cell. These cells line the ventricles in the brain and the central canal of the spinal cord, which become filled with cerebrospinal fluid. These are nervous tissue cells with simple columnar shape, much like that of some mucosal epithelial cells. [2]
The spinal cord is an extension of the brain. The spinal cord and the brain stem are joined at the base of the cranium at the foramen magnum. Most of the functions of the head and neck are directly influenced by the brain and transmitted to the PNS via the cranial nerves and spinal nerves of the cervical portion of the spine.
Simple squamous epithelium falls under the physiological category of exchange epithelium due to its ability to rapidly transport molecules across the tissue layer. To facilitate this movement, some types of simple squamous epithelium may have pores between cells to allow molecules to move through it, creating a leaky epithelium.
As the main stem cell population for the tissue they are found in, therefore responding to stimuli to maintain homeostasis within that tissue; While all basal cells, regardless of location, function similar in regards to anchoring the epithelium, the specific function and mechanisms of basal cells as stem cells varies by location.
Brain cells make up the functional tissue of the brain. The rest of the brain tissue is the structural stroma that includes connective tissue such as the meninges , blood vessels , and ducts. The two main types of cells in the brain are neurons , also known as nerve cells, and glial cells , also known as neuroglia. [ 1 ]
The basal lamina is made and maintained by the cells that sit on it. It acts as a point of attachment for cells. However, it can also have other function such as a permeability barrier in the glomerulus (urine production). Some of the matrix molecules (of the basal lamina) mediate synaptic adhesion in neuromuscular synapses. [8]
In humans, blood glucose is the primary source of energy for most cells and is critical for normal function in a number of tissues, including the brain. [132] The human brain consumes approximately 60% of blood glucose in fasted, sedentary individuals. [132]