biology

Vascular organ of lamina terminalis

Vascular organ of lamina terminalis is a biology topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vascular organ of lamina terminalis rather than just read about it. In short: The vascular organ of lamina terminalis (VOLT), organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), or supraoptic crest, is a sensory organ, one of the circumventricular organs of the third ventricle within the lamina terminalis. It is covered with pia mater, and lined with ependyma.

Key takeaways

Vascular organ of lamina terminalis belongs to biology; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vascular organ of lamina terminalis to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vascular organ of lamina terminalis from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The vascular organ of lamina terminalis (VOLT), organum vasculosum of the lamina terminalis (OVLT), or supraoptic crest, is a sensory organ, one of the circumventricular organs of the third ventricle within the lamina terminalis. It is covered with pia mater, and lined with ependyma. It overlies the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus, and is involved in the secretion of vasopressin. The VOLT monitors the presence of peptides and macromolecules in the bloodstream, and conveys the information to the hypothalamus. It is one of the three sensory circumventricular organs of the brain. The other four are secretory.

Anteroventral third ventricle region The VOLT, median eminence, and subfornical organ are interconnected with the mid-ventral hypothalamus, and together these three structures surround the third ventricle, a complex often called the anteroventral region of the third ventricle ("AV3V" region). This region functions in the regulation of fluid and electrolyte balance by controlling thirst, sodium excretion, blood volume regulation, and vasopressin secretion.

Function The VOLT is one of the three sensory circumventricular organs providing information to other brain regions. VOLT capillaries do not have a blood–brain barrier, and so neurons in this region can respond to circulating factors present in the systemic circulation. Neurons in the VOLT are osmoreceptors sensitive to the sodium content and osmotic pressure of blood. Neurons of the lamina terminalis project to the supraoptic nucleus and paraventricular nucleus to regulate the activity of vasopressin-secreting neurons. In a situation of lowered blood volume, secretion of renin by the kidneys results in the production of angiotensin II, which stimulates receptors in the VOLT and subfornical organ to complete a positive feedback loop. These neurons also project to the median preoptic nucleus which is involved in controlling thirst.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vascular organ of lamina terminalis

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vascular organ of lamina terminalis claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In biology, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vascular organ of lamina terminalis before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vascular organ of lamina terminalis ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vascular organ of lamina terminalis

In research: Vascular organ of lamina terminalis appears in biology research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vascular organ of lamina terminalis in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vascular organ of lamina terminalis is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Neuroendocrinology, Ventricular system, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vascular organ of lamina terminalis outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Ask Teacher Smith questions about this articleOpens your AI tutor with a question about “Vascular organ of lamina terminalis” →

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Vascular organ of lamina terminalis in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vascular organ of lamina terminalis means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vascular organ of lamina terminalis out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vascular organ of lamina terminalis in simple terms?

Why does Vascular organ of lamina terminalis matter?

Because it connects several biology ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vascular organ of lamina terminalis?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vascular organ of lamina terminalis.