Final answer:
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear serum-like fluid that provides nutrition and acts as a liquid cushion for the CNS. It is produced by the ventricles of the brain and circulates through the CNS, picking up metabolic wastes and protecting the brain and spinal cord.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear serum-like fluid that provides nutrition for the central nervous system (CNS) and acts as a liquid cushion for the brain and spinal cord.
CSF is produced within the ventricles of the brain by a specialized membrane called a choroid plexus. It circulates through the CNS, surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and picks up metabolic wastes from the nervous tissue, removing them from the CNS.
CSF also provides a liquid cushion for the brain and spinal cord, protecting them from injury. It circulates in the subarachnoid space, between the arachnoid mater and the pia mater, and is reabsorbed into the blood through arachnoid granulations.