glial cell

(noun)

A type of cell, in the nervous system, that provides support for the neurons.

Related Terms

  • myelin
  • cerebral ventricles
  • white matter

Examples of glial cell in the following topics:

  • Clusters of Neuronal Cell Bodies

    • Ganglia are composed mainly of neuron cell bodies (somata) and dendritic structures.
    • Satellite glial cells are a type of glial cell that line the exterior surface of neurons in the peripheral nervous system (PNS) .
    • Satellite glial cells (SGCs) also surround neuron cell bodies within ganglia.
    • Satellite cells also act as protective, cushioning cells.
    • Satellite glial cells are expressed throughout the sympathetic and parasympathetic ganglia in their respective nervous system divisions.
  • Types of Nervous Tissue

    • Neuroglia are also called "glial cells."
    • These glial cells are involved in many specialized functions apart from support of the neurons.
    • In the PNS, satellite cells and Schwann cells are the two kinds of neuroglia.
    • Astrocytes are shaped like a star and are the most abundant glial cell in the CNS.
    • Satellite cells surround neuron cell bodies in the peripheral nervous system (PNS).
  • Neuroglia of the Central Nervous System

    • Neuroglia in the CNS include astrocytes, microglial cells, ependymal cells and oligodendrocytes.
    • Astrocytes are star shaped delicate branching glial cells.
    • Ependymal cells are another glial subtype that line the ventricles of the CNS.
    • Oligodendrocytes are cells that have fewer processes compared to astrocytes.
    • Oligodendrocytes form the electrical insulation around the axons of CNS nerve cells.
  • Organization of the Nervous System

    • The nervous system is a network of cells called neurons that coordinate actions and transmit signals between different parts of the body.
    • Central to the functioning of the nervous system is an extensive network of specialized cells called neurons.
    • Neurons send signals along thin fibers called axons and communicate with other cells by releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters at cell-cell junctions called synapses .
    • Along with neurons, the nervous system relies on the function of other specialized cells called glial cells, or glia, that provide structural and metabolic support to the nervous system.
    • When this signal reaches a synapse, it provokes release of neurotransmitter molecules, which bind to receptor molecules located in the the target cell.
  • Brain Tumors

    • A brain tumor is a pathological abnormal growth of cells in the brain.
    • A brain tumor is an intracranial solid neoplasm—a tumor (defined as an abnormal growth of cells)—within the brain or the central spinal canal.
    • Within the brain itself, the involved cells may be neurons or glial cells (which include astrocytes, oligodendrocytes, and ependymal cells).
    • Surgery: complete or partial resection of the tumor to remove as many tumor cells as possible
    • Chemotherapy: is a treatment option for cancer, however it is seldom used to treat brain tumors as the blood and brain barrier prevents the drugs from reaching the cancerous cells
  • Structure of a Nerve

    • Neurons are sometimes referred to as nerve cells, although this term is misleading since many neurons do not occupy nerves, and nerves also include non-neuronal support cells (glial cells) that contribute to the health of enclosed neurons.
  • Development of Nervous Tissue

    • Embryonic neural development includes the birth and differentiation of neurons from stem cell precursors.
    • In vertebrates, the first sign of the nervous system is the appearance of a thin strip of cells along the center of the back, called the neural plate .
    • Induction of neural tissues causes formation of neural precursor cells, called neuroblasts.
    • In drosophila, neuroblasts divide asymmetrically, so that one product is a "ganglion mother cell" (GMC), and the other is a neuroblast.
    • A GMC divides once, to give rise to either a pair of neurons or a pair of glial cells.
  • Embryonic Development of the Brain

    • This results in a strip of neuronal stem cells that runs along the back of the fetus.
    • The first postmitotic cells to migrate form the preplate which are destined to become Cajal-Retzius cells and subplate neurons.
    • These cells do so by somal translocation.
    • They do not resemble the cells migrating by locomotion or somal translocation.
    • Instead these multipolar cells express neuronal markers and extend multiple thin processes in various directions independently of the radial glial fibers.
  • Capacity of Different Tissues for Repair

    • Neuroregeneration refers to the regrowth or repair of nervous tissue, cells, or cell products.
    • It is limited by the inhibitory influences of the glial and extracellular environment.
    • Glial scars rapidly form, and the glia actually produce factors that inhibit remyelination and axon repair.
    • All of these factors contribute to the formation of what is known as a glial scar, which axons cannot grow across .
    • Astrocytes can be identified in culture because, unlike other mature glia, they express glial fibrillary acidic protein.
  • Regeneration of Nerve Fibers

    • Neuroregeneration refers to the regrowth or repair of nervous tissues, cells, or cell products.
    • The proximal axons are able to regrow as long as the cell body is intact, and they have made contact with the Schwann cells in the endoneurial channel.
    • It is limited by the inhibitory influences of the glial and extracellular environment.
    • Glial scars rapidly form and the glia actually produce factors that inhibit remyelination and axon repair.
    • All these factors contribute to the formation of what is known as a glial scar, which axons cannot grow across.
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