In
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of morphology concerned with the study of the internal structure of organisms and their parts. Anatomy is a branch of natural science that deals with the structural organization of living things. It is an old scien ...
, the germinal matrix is a highly cellular and highly
vascularized
Angiogenesis is the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, formed in the earlier stage of vasculogenesis. Angiogenesis continues the growth of the vasculature mainly by processes of sprouting an ...
region in the
brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
out from which
cell
Cell most often refers to:
* Cell (biology), the functional basic unit of life
* Cellphone, a phone connected to a cellular network
* Clandestine cell, a penetration-resistant form of a secret or outlawed organization
* Electrochemical cell, a de ...
s migrate during
brain development
The brain is an organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head ( cephalization), usually near organs for special sens ...
. The germinal matrix is the source of both
neuron
A neuron (American English), neurone (British English), or nerve cell, is an membrane potential#Cell excitability, excitable cell (biology), cell that fires electric signals called action potentials across a neural network (biology), neural net ...
s and
glial cell
Glia, also called glial cells (gliocytes) or neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) and in the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses. The neuroglia make up ...
s and is most active between 8 and 28 weeks
gestation
Gestation is the period of development during the carrying of an embryo, and later fetus, inside viviparous animals (the embryo develops within the parent). It is typical for mammals, but also occurs for some non-mammals. Mammals during pregn ...
. It is a fragile portion of the
brain
The brain is an organ (biology), organ that serves as the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals. It consists of nervous tissue and is typically located in the head (cephalization), usually near organs for ...
that may be damaged leading to a
germinal matrix hemorrhage (grade 1
intraventricular hemorrhage
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), also known as intraventricular bleeding, is a bleeding into the brain's ventricular system, where the cerebrospinal fluid is produced and circulates through towards the subarachnoid space. It can result from p ...
).
Location/anatomy: The germinal matrix is next to the lateral ventricles (the "inside" of the brain).
Function/physiology: Neurons and glia migrate radially outward from the germinal matrix towards the cerebral cortex. For more information, see the associated articles on neuronal migration and corticogenesis.
Dysfunction/pathophysiology: in prenatology/neonatology, intraventricular hemorrhages occur starting in the germinal matrix due to the lack of structural integrity there. Intraventricular hemorrhages are a common and harmful issue in children born prematurely.
See also
*
Intraventricular hemorrhage
Intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH), also known as intraventricular bleeding, is a bleeding into the brain's ventricular system, where the cerebrospinal fluid is produced and circulates through towards the subarachnoid space. It can result from p ...
*
Ganglionic eminence
The ganglionic eminence (GE) is a transitory structure in the development of the nervous system that guides cell and axon migration. It is present in the prenatal development, embryonic and fetal stages of neural development found between the thal ...
References
External links
Ultrasound Pictures of Germinal Matrix IVHMedPix Image Database
Embryology of nervous system
Matrices (biology)
Developmental neuroscience
{{Neuroanatomy-stub