Ventricular zone

Ventricular zone is a transient layer of tissue containing neural stem cells, principally radial glial cells, of the developing central nervous system (CNS). It is the region adjacent to the ventricular system from which cells of the brain proliferate. In humans, the ventricular zone is most prominent during the first trimester of pregnancy.

Structure

The ventricular zone is a pseudostratified epithelium and is primarily composed of radial glial cells. These cells are named for their morphology, which includes a cell body located in the ventricular zone and two fibers: one that extends to the pial surface and another that contacts the ventricles.

Development

The ventricular zone is the birthplace of all neurons in the neocortex. The first neurons are born from radial glial cells in the ventricular zone and migrate along the radial glial fibers to the preplate, which is a layer of neurons that forms just below the pia. As development progresses, the preplate splits into the marginal zone and the subplate, and newly born neurons migrate past the subplate to form the cortical plate.

Clinical significance

The ventricular zone is of clinical significance because it is the site of origin of a common and aggressive form of brain cancer, glioblastoma multiforme. It is also the region where a type of brain malformation, periventricular heterotopia, is thought to originate.

See also

• Neural stem cell
• Neurogenesis
• Radial glial cell

References

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