Ependymal cells

Author: Christina Loukopoulou, MSc • Reviewer: Dimitrios Mytilinaios, MD, PhD
Last reviewed: October 30, 2023
Reading time: 2 minutes

Ependymal cells are mostly known as a specialized type of epithelial tissue. They are indispensable components of the central nervous system (CNS) and originate from neuroepithelial cells of the neural plate.

Ependymal cells are found lining the central canal of the spinal cord and ventricles of the brain.

The choroid plexus is formed by vascularized invaginations of this neuroepithelium and is lined luminally by the ependymal cells, also known as the ependyma.

Functionally, ependymal cells are responsible for maintaining homeostasis in the brain, producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and forming the blood–CSF barrier through tight junctions between the choroid ependymal cells. These cells regulate the passage of molecules between the underlying capillaries and cerebrospinal fluid.

Terminology	English: Ependymal cells Synonym: Cuboidal ependymal cells Latin: Ependymocyti Synonym: Ependymocyti cuboidei
Definition	Ependymal cells, a specialized type of neuroepithelial tissue, are found lining the central canal of the spinal cord and cerebral ventricles.

Learn more about the lining of the spinal cord in the following study unit:

Sources

All content published on Kenhub is reviewed by medical and anatomy experts. The information we provide is grounded on academic literature and peer-reviewed research. Kenhub does not provide medical advice. You can learn more about our content creation and review standards by reading our content quality guidelines.

Crossman, A.R., Neary, D. (2014). Neuroanatomy: An Illustrated Colour Text (5th ed.). Manchester, MCR: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.

Deng, S., Gan, L., Liu, C., Xu, T., Zhou, S., Guo, Y., Zhang, Z., Yang, G. Y., Tian, H., Tang, Y. (2023). Roles of Ependymal Cells in the Physiology and Pathology of the Central Nervous System. Aging Dis, 1;14(2):468-483.

Moore, K. L., Dalley, A. F. and Agur, A. (2017). Clinically oriented anatomy (8th ed.). Lippincott Williams and Wilkins.

Standring, S. (2016). Gray's Anatomy (41st ed.). Edinburgh: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone.

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