Title: blood–brain barrier
Long Title: IUPAC Gold Book - blood–brain barrier
DOI: 10.1351/goldbook.11640
Status: current

Definition
Selectively permeable structure that restricts the exit of blood cells and many substances from the brain capillaries into the extracellular space of the brain.

Note
It consists of a layer of tightly packed cells (chiefly endothelial cells and astrocytes) and basement membrane, continuous along the brain capillaries.

Related Terms
- astrocytes: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11614
- brain: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11647

Source
- PAC, 2015, 87, 841. 'IUPAC Glossary of terms used in neurotoxicology (IUPAC Recommendations 2015)' on page 853 (https://doi.org/10.1515/pac-2015-0103)

Other Outputs
- html: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11640/html
- json: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11640/json
- xml: https://goldbook.iupac.org/terms/view/11640/xml

Citation: Citation: 'blood–brain barrier' in IUPAC Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 5th ed. International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; 2025. Online version 5.0.0, 2025. 10.1351/goldbook.11640
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Disclaimer: The International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) is continuously reviewing and, where needed, updating terms in the Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the IUPAC Gold Book). Users of these terms are encouraged to include the version of a term with its use and to check regularly for updates to term definitions that you are using.
Accessed: 2026-06-29T02:05:15+00:00