#glial cells

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[bpod-bpod]

Gleeful Look

Glial cells are like an unsung network of city support workers – regulating traffic, sweeping streets, keeping things orderly and hygienic in our brain and nervous system. Their shape is key to how they interact with brain cells, but current techniques to assess this morphology are limited. A new imaging tool, GliaMorph, combines different modules to in turn quantify texture, segmentation, and other features at the individual cell and global scale. Researchers turned GliaMorph’s focus to zebrafish Müller glia – cells important to eye health. They were able to measure Müller glia development, observing the growing complexity and rearrangement (pictured, at 72 - top - and 120 - bottom - hours post fertilisation) – with the original image on the left followed left to right by segmentation, structural edges, distance between elements, and the cellular skeleton highlighted. They then measured changing protein positioning in a mouse model of glaucoma, showing the approach’s direct potential for revealing the precise morphology of human disease.

Written by Anthony Lewis

Image from work by Elisabeth Kugler and colleagues

Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK

Image originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)

Published in Development, February 2023

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meme I made instead of studying

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neuroscience fact

🧠glial cells are cells that insulate neurons in the brain🧠

the word ‘glia’ comes from Greek for ‘glue’ --> the glial cells hold the neurons/the brain together

isn’t that cute???🤗🤪ye i’m a nerd this is technically still a studyblr lets move on shall we

[currentsinbiology]

Often overlooked glial cell is key to learning and memory

Glial cells surround neurons and provide support—not unlike hospital staff and nurses supporting doctors to keep operations running smoothly. These often-overlooked cells, which include oligodendrocytes and astrocytes, are the most abundant cell types in the central nervous system.

But these cells do more than support neurons. They also actively influence them, University of California, Riverside, researchers report.

The researchers focused on astrocytes—star-shaped cells that greatly outnumber neurons—in mice, and found that when these cells overproduce a protein called ephrin-B1, the ability to retain memory weakens.

[er-cryptid]

Types of Glial Cells

Astrocytes -- link capillaries to neurons -- control the chemical environment

Microglia -- absorb and decompose of dead cells and bacteria

Ependymal Cells -- form a protective covering around the spinal cord and central cavities within the brain

Oligodendrocytes -- wrap around nerve fibers -- produce myelin

Schwann Cells -- form myelin sheaths around nerve fibers

Satellite Cells -- serve as cushioning support cells

[neurosciencenews]

Uncovering the Power of Glial Cells

Implanted devices send targeted electrical stimulation to the nervous system to interfere with abnormal brain activity, and it is commonly assumed that neurons are the only important brain cells that need to be stimulated by these devices. However, research reveals that it may also be important to target the supportive glial cells surrounding the neurons.

The research is in Nature Biomedical Engineering. (full access paywall)

[sciencesourceimages]

Image SX2129 (Brain cells, fluorescence micrograph)

Fluorescence light micrograph of a section through brain tissue, showing numerous glial cells and neurons (nerve cells).

Glial cells, or neuroglia, are non-neural cells of the central nervous system that maintain homeostasis, form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems. They are the predominant cell type in brain tissue and are thought to outnumber neurons by 10 to 1.

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Neuroscience currently identifies four main functions of glial cells:

- To surround neurons and hold them in place - To supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons - To insulate one neuron from another - To destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons.

In the central nervous system, glial cells include oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, ependymal cells and microglia, and in the peripheral nervous system glial cells include Schwann cells and satellite cells. Unlike neurons, glial cells do not conduct electrical impulses. 

© Dr. Chris Henstridge / Science Source