Brain is a highly oxidative organ and its consumption rate of oxygen accounts for 20 percent of that of the whole body. This large consumption rate must be met by continuous supply of oxygen, because lack of oxygen rapidly causes irreversible damage to central nervous system. Acute hypoxic episodes cause a certain pattern of regional damage. Cerebral cortex (e.g., layers III, V, and VI) is one of the most susceptible regions to hypoxia, and damage to sensorimotor function is particularly severe in humans that survive hypoxic/ischemic episodes. However, little is known about whether oxygen transport in intracortical regions relates to such selective vulnerability to hypoxia.
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Biotransport Symposium II: Biomass Transfer
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