Which cells line the cavities of the central nervous system, including the brain ventricles and the spinal canal?

Which cells line the cavities of the central nervous system, including the brain ventricles and the spinal canal?

• A. Astrocytes
• B. Ependymal cells
• C. Microglia
• D. Oligodendrocytes

Answer: (B)

Ependymal cells line the cavities of the CNS, including the brain’s ventricles and the spinal canal. They form the ependyma, a thin epithelial layer that coats the ventricular surfaces and the central canal. Their shape is typically cuboidal to columnar, and many have cilia that beat to move cerebrospinal fluid through the ventricular system and around the brain and spinal cord. In the choroid plexuses, specialized ependymal cells work with nearby capillaries to produce CSF. Developmentally, they originate from the neural tube. This makes them the correct answer because they specifically line the CNS cavities, unlike astrocytes (support and contribute to the blood-brain barrier), microglia (immune cells of the CNS), or oligodendrocytes (myelinate CNS axons).

Ependymal cells line the cavities of the CNS, including the brain’s ventricles and the spinal canal. They form the ependyma, a thin epithelial layer that coats the ventricular surfaces and the central canal. Their shape is typically cuboidal to columnar, and many have cilia that beat to move cerebrospinal fluid through the ventricular system and around the brain and spinal cord. In the choroid plexuses, specialized ependymal cells work with nearby capillaries to produce CSF. Developmentally, they originate from the neural tube. This makes them the correct answer because they specifically line the CNS cavities, unlike astrocytes (support and contribute to the blood-brain barrier), microglia (immune cells of the CNS), or oligodendrocytes (myelinate CNS axons).