Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
The blood vessels in your brain are lined with a layer of defense typically known as the blood-brain barrier — in this video, dubbed the “brain-blood barrier,” or BBB. Composed of three types of cells, the BBB acts as a gatekeeper tasked with ensuring important things stay in the brain, while harmful things in the blood — like pathogens — stay out. Certain drugs and medications, like alcohol or acetaminophen, cross the BBB as they take effect. Some diseases, disorders, and the aging process itself can disrupt the BBB, causing it to become “leaky” and less effective at doing its job.
Tune into this BBB bop and learn more about its structure, discovery, and function.
This is a video from the 2024 Brain Awareness Video Contest: brainfacts.org/for-educators/programs-and-events/brain-awareness-video-contest
Created by Joshua Moses.
Watch on BrainFacts: brainfacts.org/brain-anatomy-and-function/anatomy/2024/the-bbb-and-its-story-091624
The blood vessels in your brain are lined with a layer of defense typically known as the blood-brain barrier — in this video, dubbed the “brain-blood barrier,” or BBB. Composed of three types of cells, the BBB acts as a gatekeeper tasked with ensuring important things stay in the brain, while harmful things in the blood — like pathogens — stay out. Certain drugs and medications, like alcohol or acetaminophen, cross the BBB as they take effect. Some diseases, disorders, and the aging process itself can disrupt the BBB, causing it to become “leaky” and less effective at doing its job.
Tune into this BBB bop and learn more about its structure, discovery, and function.
This is a video from the 2024 Brain Awareness Video Contest: brainfacts.org/for-educators/programs-and-events/brain-awareness-video-contest
Created by Joshua Moses.
Watch on BrainFacts: brainfacts.org/brain-anatomy-and-function/anatomy/2024/the-bbb-and-its-story-091624
