subcommissural organ

The subcommissural organ (SCO) is one of the circumventricular organs. It is a small glandular structure formed by ependymal cells and hypendymal cells and is located in the dorsocaudal region of the third ventricle, at the entrance of the cerebral aqueduct. The SCO is one of the first differentiated brain structures to develop. It has its name because of the localization in the brain. The organ's main functions are unknown; nevertheless, some evidences suggest that the organ may participate in different process, such as the clearance of certain compounds and the circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid, and it could also play a role in some morphogenetic mechanisms.