neuroglia
Glia, also called glial cells or neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) and in the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses. The neuroglia make up more than one half the volume of neural tissue in the human body. They contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis, help form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons. In the central nervous system, glial cells include oligodendrocytes (that produce myelin), astrocytes, ependymal cells and microglia, and in the peripheral nervous system they include Schw
AI overview
Neuroglia are non-electrical cells in your brain, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves that make up more than half the volume of neural tissue in your body. They're important because they maintain the brain's chemical balance, insulate nerve fibers with a protective coating called myelin, and provide essential support and protection for neurons.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Key facts
- Cell.Name
- Glia
- Cell.Image
- Glial Cell Types.png
- Cell.Caption
- Illustration of the four different types of glial cells found in the central nervous system: ependymal cells (light pink), astrocytes (green), microglial cells (dark red) and oligodendrocytes (light blue)
- Cell.Precursor
- Neuroectoderm for macroglia, and hematopoietic stem cells for microglia
- Cell.System
- Nervous system
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
138,032 papers- Neuroglia in suicide.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2025
- Imaging neuroglia.Handbook of clinical neurology · 2025
- The Concept of Neuroglia.Advances in experimental medicine and biology · 2019
- Neuroglia in the healthy brain.
Article
18 sectionsContents
- Function
- Types
- Macroglia
- Microglia
- Other
- Total number
- Development
- Capacity to divide
- Functions
- Neuron repair and development
- Myelin sheath creation
- Neurotransmission
- Clinical significance
- History
- See also
- References
- Bibliography
- External links
Glia, also called glial cells or neuroglia, are non-neuronal cells in the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) and in the peripheral nervous system that do not produce electrical impulses. The neuroglia make up more than one half the volume of neural tissue in the human body. They contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis, help form myelin, and provide support and protection for neurons. In the central nervous system, glial cells include oligodendrocytes (that produce myelin), astrocytes, ependymal cells and microglia, and in the peripheral nervous system they include Schwann cells (that produce myelin), and satellite cells.
==Function== Glia have four main functions: to structurally support neurons, holding them in place to supply nutrients and oxygen to neurons to insulate one neuron from another to destroy pathogens and remove dead neurons. They also play a role in neurotransmission and synaptic connections, and in physiological processes such as breathing. While glia were thought to outnumber neurons by a ratio of 10:1, studies using newer methods and reappraisal of historical quantitative evidence suggests an overall ratio of less than 1:1, with substantial variation between different brain tissues.