In
anatomy
Anatomy () is the branch of biology concerned with the study of the 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 science, having its ...
, the germinal matrix is a highly cellular and highly
vascularized region in the
brain
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 ...
out from which
cells migrate during
brain development
The development of the nervous system, or neural development (neurodevelopment), refers to the processes that generate, shape, and reshape the nervous system of animals, from the earliest stages of embryonic development to adulthood. The fiel ...
. The germinal matrix is the source of both
neuron
A neuron, neurone, or nerve cell is an membrane potential#Cell excitability, electrically excitable cell (biology), cell that communicates with other cells via specialized connections called synapses. The neuron is the main component of nervous ...
s and
glial cell
Glia, also called glial cells (gliocytes) or neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses. They maintain homeostasis, form mye ...
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 preg ...
. It is a fragile portion of the
brain
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 ...
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 ...
).
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 ...
*
Ganglionic eminence
References
External links
Ultrasound Pictures of Germinal Matrix IVHMedPix Image Database
Embryology of nervous system
Matrices (biology)
Developmental neuroscience
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