The vasculature of the human brain

Abstract

The human brain is a highly metabolic organ with no effective mechanism for storage of oxygen and glucose. The brain needs a constant supply of large amounts of blood, and blood flow is autoregulated by the brain itself. The brain comprises only2%of total body weight but uses15%of cardiac output and 25%of total oxygen consumption. The vasculature of the brain and spinal cord consists of an arterial input, intervening capillaries, and a venous drainage system. There are no lymphatic vessels in the central nervous system (CNS).